Syrian Army counters ISIS at Palmyra

On Tuesday afternoon, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – in close coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Homs City and Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Ba’ath Battalions) – launched a counter-assault at the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) after they successfully repelled the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s (ISIS) attempted advance these last two weeks.

The Syrian Armed Forces began their counter-assault at the small village of Al-Dawa in Palmyra’s western countryside, where they successfully cleared the area of all ISIS fighters  that were entrenched around the road leading to the ancient city. Following their success at Al-Dawa, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade and their allies shifted their attention to the Ancient Palmyra Quarries; this attack by the Syrian Armed Forces came from the northwestern flank and was backed by the Russian Air Force’s swarming fighter jets.

It did not take long for the Syrian Armed Forces to recapture territory that was lost to ISIS along the main stretch of quarries in Palmyra’s northern countryside; however, the Syrian Arab Army and their allies were unable to reach the road that leads to the small village of Al-‘Amariyah. Currently, clashes are still ongoing between the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIS in the foothills of Palmyra – the former is on the offensive.