Syrian Army Marches Toward Palmyra: 5km from the Ancient City

Over the last four days, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – in coordination with Qawat Al-Nimr (Tiger Forces), Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawks Brigade), and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – have made remarkable progress in the western countryside of the ancient city of Palmyra, capturing a number of sites under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

On Thursday morning, the Syrian Armed Forces continued their advance to ancient city, attacking the ISIS militants at the Palmyra Driving School, where they were able to impose full control over this site near the Al-Qadri Farms in southwest Palmyra.

According to a military source in Jabal Al-Sha’ar, the Syrian Armed Forces killed as many as 30 enemy combatants from the terrorist group and wounded another 35 militants in the process of their advance to the outskirts of Palmyra.

In addition to their capture of the Palmyra Driving School, the Syrian Armed Forces captured the strategic hills of Al-Dawat and Taloul Al-Hikmat after fierce clashes with the terrorist group – both of these hills are located in the northwestern outskirts of Palmyra.

With their recent advancement in western Palmyra, the Syrian Armed Forces are now 5 kilometers (km) away from the ancient city, as they continue to push east towards the Qassoun Mountains overlooking the ancient city.

Not to be outdone, another brigade from the Tiger Forces is also pushing its way to the ancient city; however, it is not from the western flank.

The Tiger Forces brigade – led by Captain Lu’ayy Sleitan – has advanced as far as 7km away from the village of Al-‘Amariyah in northern Palmyra; if they can capture the rest of the road leading from Palmyra to the Jazal Mountains, they may arrive before their comrades at the western flank.