The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The regime forces continue their military operation and advance at the expense of the “Islamic State” organization in the western desert of Palmyra

Violent clashes are taking place between the regime forces supported by the gunmen loyal to them against members of the “Islamic State” organization in the western desert of Palmyra, in the eastern countryside of Homs, in a counter and constant attack by the regime forces since the 14th of January 2017, to restore the lost positions to the organization since their last violent attack in the 8th of December 2016, where the regime forces managed to achieve a new advancement today by controlling the areas of al-Hattaniyyah and al-Marhatan and advancing towards Jahar Junction, after violent clashes against the organization, accompanied by heavy shelling by the regime forces on sites and areas controlled by the organization, and the bombing and clashes caused casualties and injuries in the ranks of both parties, where clashes between both of them continue in the fronts stretching from the hills of al-Tayyas in an area near the Fourth Station and end at Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, while the regime forces have been able to regain control of the abandoned battalion and advanced to it, where it was free of fighters of both parties, in addition to their advancement in the hills in the vicinity of al-Tayyas village, and restoring Be’er al-Fawa’ra and the village of Abu Twala and a farm near it and also recovering Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi which is witnessing clashes at its vicinity.

It is worth mentioning that the regime forces are trying to regain control of areas they had lost since the organization’s violent attack on the 8th of December 2016, the attack targeted Palmyra area, oilfields, ancient sites and nearby facilities in the eastern countryside of Homs, after the arrival of reinforcement of more than 300 fighters and commanders sent by the leadership of the “Islamic State” organization after a meeting between the commander of “Jaysh al-Sham” with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the “Islamic State” and the Minister of War in the organization, where both of them confirmed to the commander of Jaysh al-Sham that the reinforcements would be continuous and successive from now on, after the last mentioned explained  the bad military situation of the fighters and members of the organization on the fronts, where they fight against “Euphrates Shield”, the Syria Democratic Forces and the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them.

The organization was able to control during this attack the city of Palmyra, the ancient city, Palmyra airbase, Palmyra Castle, Qasr al-Hayr, al-Mohr field, Jahar company, al-Hallabat Palace, Hayyal Mountain, the granaries, Jazl field, Palmyra warehouses, Traf al-Raml farms, villages of Sharifah and Eastern al-Bayda and others sites around Palmyra city and its desert.