The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

About 25 km separate the regime forces from the last city controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in Homs province after advancing about 15 km from Palmyra area

The regime forces supported by the loyalist gunmen of Syrian and Non-Syrian nationalities continue their military operation in Palmyra desert in the eastern countryside of Homs, as part of their effort to reduce the size of the “Islamic State” organization’s controlled areas, and regain control over these areas, which were controlled by the organization in the past months and years, in order to reduce its controlled areas and force it to withdraw to other areas and provinces it controls areas in them.

The regime forces started since the 10th of June 2017 a new front of fighting, after their repeated failures in advancing in the eastern desert of Palmyra, and headed with the support of the loyalist gunmen of Syrian and Non-Syrian nationalities and by the support of artillery shelling, rocket and air strikes towards the Palmyra-Sokhna area, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the advancement of the regime forces during the past days in this area, and the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them started their operation by controlling the hills and heights that would give them the ability to monitor the area, and subdue the “Islamic State” organization’s controlled areas and its locations for the firearms control of the regime forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in the last 24 hours also monitored the regime forces achieve a new advancement and control the Ark area in the northeastern desert of Palmyra, achieving a new advancement near Sokhna city, which is the last city controlled by the “Islamic State” organization in Homs province, and they have become about 25 km away of the city, where since the start of their offensive five days ago they have advanced 15 km from the road Palmyra – Sokhna, and the clashes were accompanied by intensive bombardments on sites of the organization that forced it to withdraw.