Over 300 ISIL Terrorists Killed in Operations in Ancient Palmyra

“During the (Saturday) night, Syrian government forces, actively supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, repelled all attacks by (ISIL) terrorists on (government positions in) Palmyra. The invading side actively used car bombs, armor and rocket artillery systems,” the ministry’s statement read.

According to Moscow, the Russian warplanes conducted 64 airstrikes on the militants’ positions and reserves, while eleven battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 31 cars with heavy machineguns were destroyed, and over 300 militants were killed.

Reports said earlier today that the army troops with the back up of the Russian and Syrian fighter jets managed to drive ISIL out of the neighborhoods they lost to the terrorists on Saturday, and imposed full control over the historical city of Palmyra (Tadmur) in Eastern Homs.

The army soldiers, backed up by the Russian and Syrian warplanes, pushed ISIL terrorists back from neighborhoods near Palmyra’s entrance, inflicting major casualties on the militants.

ISIL carried out one more large-scale attack on government positions at the Eastern entrance of Palmyra on Saturday night. They took control of the strategic height of al-Tar in the Northern side of Palmyra and the village of al-Ameriyeh Northwest of the city. They further laid siege on the city.

As the ISIL terrorists were entering the Eastern districts of Palmyra, the army troops started to evacuate civilians from the city and transfer them to the T4 region and airport, but after arrival of reinforcements, the government forces carried out crushing attacks on the terrorists and retook some of the lost neighborhoods with the back of the Russian and Syrian aircraft.

The army men, fresh forces and the Syrian and Russian fighter jets inflicted major losses on the militants and took back the village of al-Ameriyeh and the Eastern neighborhoods of Palmyra.

The government forces further targeted ISIL’s movements and gatherings in the wheat silos and al-Tar height, inflicting major losses on them and pushing them back from most of these two regions.

Massdar news reported that the Russian Special Forces with the back up of the Russian fighter jets and choppers played a crucial role in recapturing lost region in the Palmyra operation.

A field source said that the Syrian government forces are fortifying their position in the city to prevent any advance of the ISIL.

The sources added that the Takfiri terrorists try to maintain their position in Palmyra’s outskirt, but the Russian and Syrian warplanes are targeting them continuously.

The source also said that an ISIL convoy of vehicles carrying a number of terrorists that had left al-Sukhnah region for Palmyra was destroyed in the air raids.

A military source also told RIA Novosti that the Syrian army managed to repel ISIL attack on Palmyra, regaining full control over the embattled city.

 “Let me repeat that Palmyra is under the control of the Syrian army troops,” the source said, adding that ISIL terrorists are carrying out intense attacks, but they have been repulsed.