The Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” – backed by Hezbollah, the Desert Hawks, and the Syrian Marines – made a significant advance towards the strategic desert city of Palmyra (Tadmur) on Thursday, liberating several hilltops and archaeological sites from the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).
However, the most important event to take place on Thursday was the Syrian Arab Army’s entrance into the Palmyra Orchards after they seized the Semiramis Hotel and Resort from the ISIS terrorists protecting it.
Following this imperative advance into the Palmyra Orchards, the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah launched another night operation to bypass ISIS’ defenses and attempt to break into this ancient city’s southern district.
So far, the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah have liberated the western orchards tonight, but they are still facing heavy resistance from the ISIS terrorists at the southern gates of Palmyra and the eastern orchards.
It appears that the Syrian Armed Forces are planning on entering Palmyra through the southern gates, which differs from their original plan of advancing from the western flank of the city.
Despite the good news, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies don’t have much time to enter Palmyra because a massive sandstorm is set to hit the Homs Desert on Friday morning.
The sandstorm could prove to be a lifesaver for ISIS because it will temporarily ground the Syrian and Russian air forces, while also creating visibility problems for the Syrian Arab Army.
