On Thursday morning, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – backed by the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawks Brigade) – launched a counter-assault against the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) in the Palmyra (Tadmur) countryside, targeting the aforementioned terrorist group’s supply channels and the southwestern hills bordering this ancient desert city.
The Syrian Armed Forces began their assault by targeting ISIS’ defensive positions at Al-Dawa; this attack proved successful as they were able to reenter this village after a two week hiatus.
Meanwhile, southeast of Al-Dawa village, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade and their allies pushed past ISIS’ front-line defenses at Tal Al-Sahliyah, resulting in their imperative advance towards Palmyra’s Old City District.
In addition to the aforementioned gains, the Syrian Armed Forces (specifically Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra) pushed back the ISIS terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Jabal Al-Sha’ar’s (Poet Mountains) southern perimeter, killing a dozen enemy combatants in the process.
While this is unlikely a major push to enter Palmyra, the Syrian Armed Forces are attempting to cement their positions around the city in order to surround the ISIS terrorists.
The ancient city of Palmyra was captured by ISIS during their May offensive in east Homs.
