Syrian Army Blocks ISIL Reinforcement Forces for Palmyra

The army troops in Southwestern Homs regions that border the Damascus province traced the movement of tens of ISIL terrorists who had left their positions in al-Qalamoun region in Northeastern Damascus to join their comrades over a 100 miles away to the East in Palmyra that are retreating from the region.

The army units inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists and drove them back from Southwestern Homs territories, aborting their planned movement.

A field source in Homs province said that ISIL suffered heavy defeats in Palmyra and is now fueling war in al-Mokhram and Jubb al-Jarrah by rocket attacks on villages in the region.

The source added that ISIL also has stormed several military posts of the army in Tal al-Qatari region to cut off the road from al-Salamiyah in Hama to Homs to cover its heavy defeats in Palmyra.

Reports said earlier today that the army soldiers continued to hit ISIL’s positions Southeast of the newly-liberated city of Palmyra (Tadmur), capturing the city’s military airports with the aerial back up of the country’s Air Force.

The army troops engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists in the Southeastern outskirts of Palmyra and seized back the city’s military airport and an area stretching over 2km North of the airport, killing and wounding a number of militants.

Local sources said that the army men then clashed with ISIL terrorists in a region near the wheat silos and continued to advance against the terrorists towards the Northeastern outskirts of Palmyra.

The sources added that simultaneous with ground forces’ advances, the Syrian Air Force and the army’s artillery and missile units targeted ISIL’s positions and concentration centers near the wheat silos and near the two oilfields of al-Sha’er and Jazal Northwest of Palmyra.

Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed and several command posts, positions and military vehicles were destroyed in the attacks.

Damascus and Kremlin both declared on Thursday that the Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, took back the key city of Palmyra from the ISIL terrorist group.

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city of Palmyra in Homs province was liberated.

Hours after Moscow declared the liberation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Homs province, the General Command of the Syrian Army also confirmed the report.

The Syrian army forces broke the ISIL defense lines in Palmyra on Wednesday night and entered the ancient city after liberating the Palmyra Triangle and Castle, cutting off the ISIL supply routes towards the historic city.

According to reports, the ISIL terrorists evacuated most parts of the city on Thursday after planting bombs in its houses and roads.

ISIL kicked off a large-scale operation on December 8 with thousands of forces in Homs province to take control of Palmyra that was liberated by the Syrian Army in March 2016.

The ISIL took control over some energy fields and strategic heights and approached Palmyra.

The terrorist group finally entered the city of Palmyra on December 10, but the Russian and Syrian forces could repel their attacks, killing hundreds of them.

4,000 fighters of the ISIL carried out again a large-scale offensive against government positions in Palmyra from several flanks and finally managed to capture the city on December 11, while only 800 army soldiers were defending the city and there was no possibility for aerial coverage by the Russian and Syrian warplanes due to bad weather.

The Russia’s center for Syrian reconciliation noted ISIL had moved considerable forces from their stronghold of Raqqa, while more forces and equipment were relocated from Deir Ezzur.

The center cited intelligence data that ISIL had moved up to 5,000 fighters to the cities of Raqqa and Deir Ezzur from the Iraqi stronghold of Mosul.

The Syrian Army, backed by the Syrian and Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated Palmyra in March, 2016, nearly a year after it was captured by ISIL in May 2015.

During the invasion, terrorists had cruelly destroyed a major portion of the historic sites in the city. UNESCO Chief Irina Bokova had warned that ISIL militants in both Iraq and Syria were responsible for “the most brutal and systematic” destruction of the ancient heritage since World War II.