Ancient City of Palmyra Under Complete Control of the Syrian Army

[Bleipriester]

The ISIS assault on Palmyra was repelled. After the terrorists were able to break through the northern defenses, the army pushed them back and re-occupied the defensive positions.

"The Syrian Arab Army’s 18th Tank Battalion – in coordination with Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Falcons Brigade) and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – has forced the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) to withdrawal from the western and southern flanks of the ancient city of Palmyra in the eastern part of the Homs Governorate after fierce clashes on Sunday.

The Syrian Armed Forces was able to recapture all of Mount Qassoun to the east of the city, along with the Radio and Television Broadcast Tower, the Ancient Palmyra Aqueducts, and the Palmyra Dam; this forced the militants from ISIS to retreat to the northern flank, where the SAA’s 18th Tank Battalion began their assault on Sunday morning.


As dawn approached on Sunday, the SAA’s 18th Battalion and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra stormed the Desert Development building at the northern sector of Palmyra, resulting in the death of 26 enemy combatants from ISIS and the confiscation of their heavy weaponry before they began their complete withdrawal from this building and the residential neighborhoods.

With the Desert Development building under the Syrian Armed Forces control, the latter launched a counter-assault on Al-Amuriyah located north of Palmyra, where they successfully infiltrated through ISIS’ frontline defenses at the southern perimeter of the Officer’s Barracks; this resulted in the Syrian Armed Forces staking their positions at the southern flank – fighting is still ongoing.

ISIS has switched their focus to the T-3 Pumping Station and the Al-Hayl Gas Field, taking control of these sites located 20km east of the ancient city of Palmyra; however, the Syrian Armed Forces have mounted a counter-assault – in conjunction with the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) – to recapture these sites in the vast deserts of east Homs.

According to a military source in Jabal Al-Sha’ar, the Syrian Armed Forces have complete control of Palmyra, including all of the points around the city."

Ancient City of Palmyra Under Complete Control of the Syrian Army

 

[Bleipriester]

ISIS Captures the Oil Fields Near Palmyra, While the Syrian Army Secures the Ancient City

"On Monday morning, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) captured the T-3 Pumping Station and the Al-Hayl Gas Fields after fierce firefights with the Syrian Arab Army’s 18th Tank Battalion and National Defense Forces (NDF) on the Al-Sakhanah-Deir Ezzor Highway in the eastern part of the Homs Governorate.

While ISIS was successful in their endeavor to capture the gas field and pump station, the SAA’s 18th Tank Battalion – in coordination with the NDF and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Falcons Brigade) – broke-through ISIS’ frontline defenses at Al-‘Amuriyah, killing 38 enemy combatants before they were able assert full control over this area located north of the ancient city of Palmyra.


In addition to their capture of Al-‘Amuriyah, the SAA’s 18th Tank Battalion and their allies secured all of the axes on the perimeter of Palmyra, including the ancient aqueducts and dam at the western axis, the Palmyra Castle (Qa’lat Tadmur) at the northwestern axis, the Palmyra Ruins at the southern axis, and the officer’s barracks at the northern axis.

A convoy of five armored vehicles belonging to ISIS were destroyed by the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) after the latter identified the automobiles heading south towards the city of Palmyra from the Ar-Raqqa Governorate; this had an adverse effect on the ISIS fighters, as they were outnumbered and surrounded at Al-‘Amuriyah.

According to a military source in Homs, the Syrian Armed Forces have lost a total of 81 soldiers since the inception of the militant offensive; meanwhile, ISIS’ casualty count is estimated between 170-200 combatants – this has not been verified due to the ongoing firefights."

ISIS Captures the Oil Fields Near Palmyra While the Syrian Army Secures the Ancient City

 

[Bleipriester]

ISIS Launches Another Attack on the Ancient City of Palmyra

"One week after their initial offensive at the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has launched another large-scale attack on the Palmyra National Hospital and the village of Al-‘Amuriyah, attempting to infiltrate the Syrian Arab Army’s frontline defenses – once again – after these areas were secured by the latter three days ago.

The militants from ISIS began their assault on the SAA’s 18th Battalion at Al-‘Amuriyah, where they were able to successfully infiltrate past the latter’s defenses after a series of fierce clashes around the northern perimeter of the village on Wednesday morning; this village was originally secured two days ago, when the Syrian Armed Forces successfully pushed the ISIS fighters out.


With ISIS militants inside of Al-‘Amuriyah, another contingent from ISIS stormed the western perimeter of the Palmyra National Hospital on Wednesday morning; however, a field source from eastern Homs has reported that the militant assault on the SAA’s positions at this large medical facility has been repelled, thanks to the aerial bombardments from the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF).

Firefights are still ongoing between the SAA’s 18th Tank Battalion and ISIS at the village of Al-‘Amuriyah, but the powerful airstrikes from the Syrian Arab Air Force has deterred the militant reinforcements from advancing towards the ancient city of Palmyra, as the National Defense Forces (NDF) hurry to the frontline to drive back the enemy combatants.

In addition to their airstrikes at Al-‘Amuriyah and the Palmyra National Hospital, the SAAF has conducted numerous airstrikes over the towns of Al-Sikhanah and Arak since dawn on Wednesday morning, targeting ISIS’ large variety of armored vehicles that are used to attack the Syrian Armed Forces at this front in the eastern part of the Homs Governorate.

As of 6:30 A.M. Damascus Time, the ancient city of Palmyra is fully under the control of the Syrian Armed Forces; however, there is still a looming threat at the northern flank, as ISIS still has a presence in the northern perimeter of Al-‘Amuriyah."

ISIS Launches Another Attack on the Ancient City of Palmyra

 

[Bleipriester]

Official: Syrian Armed Forces Withdraw from Ancient City of Palmyra

"The Syrian Armed Forces (Syrian Arab Army’s 18th Tank Battalion and National Defense Forces) have officially withdrawn all of their soldiers from the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) after a large-scale assault was launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) for the second time in six days.

According to a military source, 16 National Defense Forces (NDF) and Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers were killed-in-action (KIA) and another 68 were wounded during the fierce clashes for the Palmyra National Hospital, Palmyra Museum, Palmyra Military Airbase, Desert and Development Office, Badiyah Military Branch Office, and the northern suburbs of this ancient city in the east Homs Governorate of Syria.


The military source unable to confirm the exact number of deaths ISIS sustained during the violent battle for Palmyra; however, he was able to confirm that a force of about 600-800 militants reinforced their entrenched comrades and helped them recapture their lost points to the Syrian Armed Forces.

The Syrian Armed Forces are still on the outskirts of Palmyra, but they hold no positions inside the city itself; if they were to counter-attack, they would launch the assault from Mount Qassoun, where they currently possess the higher ground against ISIS armed combatants."

Official Syrian Armed Forces Withdraw from Ancient City of Palmyra

 

[Bleipriester]

Syrian Armed Forces Prepare for Counter-Assault at Palmyra

"The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) countered the U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent statements regarding the Anti-ISIS Coalition’s in minimizing the terrorist group’s threat; however, ISIS shocked the region with their resurgence in Iraq and Syria after a period of inactivity.

This resurgence began with ISIS’ capture of the strategic city of Al-Ramadi in the Al-‘Anbar Governorate, followed by the seizure of the ancient city of Palmyra (Palmyra) just 36 hours later; this resulted in the terrorist group taking control of more than half of Syria’s desolate terrain in the eastern part of the country, including almost all of the Syrian-Iraq border.

The capture of Palmyra was a morale boost for ISIS; however, it was another blow to the Syrian Armed Forces that are spread across the country and fighting on over 70 fronts against a multitude of militants from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the Islamic Front, and the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra.”

Since the capture of the ancient city of Palmyra by the militants of ISIS, the Syrian Armed Forces have suffered a series of defeats at the Al-Tanf border-crossing (southeast Homs Governorate) into Iraq, along with the capture of the T-3 Pump Station and the Palmyra Central Prison.

It has been 48 hours since ISIS took control of the ancient city of Palmyra and the Syrian Armed Forces have yet to counter the militant group, leaving many to question whether or not the provincial capital of the recently revitalized Homs Governorate will be in danger of a large-scale enemy assault.

According to a military source from Syrian Arab Army’s “Suqour Al-Sahra” (Desert Falcons Brigade), the Syrian Armed Forces have mobilized reinforcements in the Homs Governorate to assist the National Defense Forces (NDF) on the western outskirts of Palmyra to retake the city and the airport.

In addition to their imminent counter-assault on Palmyra, the Syrian Armed Forces have secured all perimeters around the T-4 Airbase near the ancient city.

More details to come…"

Syrian Armed Forces Prepare for Counter-Assault at Palmyra