ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Despite Russia’s bombardment of their positions, ISIS militants managed to recapture parts of the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, a conflict monitor reported.
“ISIS militants were able to expand and control the al-Zubat departments and al-Mutaqaideen district north of the Palmyra city after taking control of the al-Amriyha district,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
In addition to these areas ISIS also took over the ancient citadel. Neither ISIS nor the Syrian Army controls the rest of the ancient city. The army has reportedly withdrawn to the al-Dwa district, west of the city.
Earlier on Sunday the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by Tass news as saying that the Syrian military forces in Palmyra, “with active support from the Russian Aerospace Force” was able to repel the ISIS attack.
“The attackers used vehicles with suicide bombers, armored vehicles and artillery,” the statement said, adding that Russian aircraft launched 64 airstrikes against the militants destroying “11 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 31 vehicles carrying large-caliber automatic guns, more than 300 militants.”
The ISIS re-entry into Palmyra comes nine months after a Russian-backed Syrian regime offensive recaptured the city from the militants.
ISIS originally captured the site, along with the Iraqi city of Ramadi, in May 2015 in its last major offensive to date. Since then the group has largely been on the defensive, losing the majority of its territory in Iraq’s Anbar province and facing multiple defeats by Syrian Kurdish forces.
“ISIS militants were able to expand and control the al-Zubat departments and al-Mutaqaideen district north of the Palmyra city after taking control of the al-Amriyha district,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
In addition to these areas ISIS also took over the ancient citadel. Neither ISIS nor the Syrian Army controls the rest of the ancient city. The army has reportedly withdrawn to the al-Dwa district, west of the city.
Earlier on Sunday the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by Tass news as saying that the Syrian military forces in Palmyra, “with active support from the Russian Aerospace Force” was able to repel the ISIS attack.
“The attackers used vehicles with suicide bombers, armored vehicles and artillery,” the statement said, adding that Russian aircraft launched 64 airstrikes against the militants destroying “11 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, 31 vehicles carrying large-caliber automatic guns, more than 300 militants.”
The ISIS re-entry into Palmyra comes nine months after a Russian-backed Syrian regime offensive recaptured the city from the militants.
ISIS originally captured the site, along with the Iraqi city of Ramadi, in May 2015 in its last major offensive to date. Since then the group has largely been on the defensive, losing the majority of its territory in Iraq’s Anbar province and facing multiple defeats by Syrian Kurdish forces.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment