The battle for Palmyra (Tadmur) has recently intensified over the last 5 days, as the Syrian Armed Forces attempt to retake this ancient city in the Homs Governorate’s eastern countryside after withdrawing from it on May 21st of this year.

On Sunday morning in the eastern Homs countryside, the Syrian Arab Army’s 550th Regiment and the 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – in coordination with Hezbollah, Kataeb Imam ‘Ali (Iraqi paramilitary), and the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Homs City – continued their large-scale assault towards Palmyra, striking the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s (ISIS) defenses at the Al-Qadri Farms near this ancient desert city.

With help from the Russian Air Force’s powerful fighter jets, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies were able to impose full control over the Al-Qadri Farms; which was followed by an advance along the Homs-Deir Ezzor Highway to the ancient city of Palmyra’s western countryside.

According to a battlefield reporter that is entrenched with the SAA’s 550th Regiment, the Syrian Armed Forces are approximately 4km away from the western gates of Palmyra and they are 2km away from the Qatari Villa – he added that the soldiers can see Palmyra’s west district from the hilltop they are currently positioned at near the Homs-Deir Ezzor Highway.

In addition to their advance along the Homs-Deir Ezzor Highway, the Syrian Armed Forces were also able to take control of most of the Hayyan Mountains that border Palmyra from the southwestern flank – firefights are still ongoing at this rugged site in east Homs.

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Leith Aboufadel
Editor-in-Chief Specializing in Near Eastern Affairs and Economics.

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