Militants capture historical city in Syria, reports say
According to Turkish media reports on Saturday, US-backed militants have gained control of Palmyra. Read Full Article at RT.com
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Palmyra has been liberated from jihadist control twice by Syrian and Russian forces in the past.
Terrorist groups in Syria have reportedly seized the ancient city of Palmyra as their advance on Damascus continues, according to Turkish media sources. It is claimed that government forces have withdrawn from a nearby airbase.
The city, strategically located on the primary route between Damascus and Deir-ez-Zor—where Kurdish militias are currently confronting the Syrian Army—was captured by the US-backed Syrian Free Army on Saturday, as reported by Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency. The Syrian Free Army is part of a larger coalition known as the Free Syrian Army, which encompasses a variety of anti-government forces, including several jihadist groups and local militias.
In a different report by Al Jazeera, it was noted that Syrian Army personnel began evacuating the critical T-4 airbase soon after the FSA entered Palmyra. Alongside Damascus International Airport, T-4 is viewed as a vital resupply hub for the nation’s military, situated between Palmyra and Homs.
The FSA's offensive on Palmyra was spurred by an attack initiated by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham jihadists, who launched an offensive from northern regions such as Idlib and Aleppo last week. HTS fighters have since taken control of Aleppo and Hama, along with several towns north of Homs, and are reportedly engaged in combat with Syrian Army forces in Homs and on the outskirts of Damascus.
Should HTS establish dominance over Homs while the FSA controls Palmyra, both groups will be positioned to launch assaults on Damascus from multiple fronts.
Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was previously attacked by Islamic State fighters in 2015, during the height of the Syrian Civil War. The jihadists looted priceless artifacts from the city’s museums, demolished the ancient Temple of Bel and the Arch of Victory, and used the Roman amphitheater in Palmyra for public executions.
Syrian government forces recaptured Palmyra in 2016, with support from Russian airstrikes and members of Russia’s Wagner private military company. Although IS briefly regained control of the city later that same year, it was liberated again by Syrian and Russian forces in 2017.
Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian government dismissed media reports claiming that President Bashar Assad had fled or was planning to leave Syria. Assad has pledged to “eliminate” the terrorists advancing toward the capital and to hold accountable their “sponsors and supporters,” amid assertions that HTS militants received training from Ukrainian military intelligence.
Russian and Syrian warplanes have conducted nearly continuous airstrikes targeting HTS positions since the onset of the terrorist offensive last week, resulting in the reported deaths of dozens of militants north of Homs on Saturday.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
Terrorist groups in Syria have reportedly seized the ancient city of Palmyra as their advance on Damascus continues, according to Turkish media sources. It is claimed that government forces have withdrawn from a nearby airbase.
The city, strategically located on the primary route between Damascus and Deir-ez-Zor—where Kurdish militias are currently confronting the Syrian Army—was captured by the US-backed Syrian Free Army on Saturday, as reported by Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency. The Syrian Free Army is part of a larger coalition known as the Free Syrian Army, which encompasses a variety of anti-government forces, including several jihadist groups and local militias.
In a different report by Al Jazeera, it was noted that Syrian Army personnel began evacuating the critical T-4 airbase soon after the FSA entered Palmyra. Alongside Damascus International Airport, T-4 is viewed as a vital resupply hub for the nation’s military, situated between Palmyra and Homs.
The FSA's offensive on Palmyra was spurred by an attack initiated by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham jihadists, who launched an offensive from northern regions such as Idlib and Aleppo last week. HTS fighters have since taken control of Aleppo and Hama, along with several towns north of Homs, and are reportedly engaged in combat with Syrian Army forces in Homs and on the outskirts of Damascus.
Should HTS establish dominance over Homs while the FSA controls Palmyra, both groups will be positioned to launch assaults on Damascus from multiple fronts.
Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was previously attacked by Islamic State fighters in 2015, during the height of the Syrian Civil War. The jihadists looted priceless artifacts from the city’s museums, demolished the ancient Temple of Bel and the Arch of Victory, and used the Roman amphitheater in Palmyra for public executions.
Syrian government forces recaptured Palmyra in 2016, with support from Russian airstrikes and members of Russia’s Wagner private military company. Although IS briefly regained control of the city later that same year, it was liberated again by Syrian and Russian forces in 2017.
Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian government dismissed media reports claiming that President Bashar Assad had fled or was planning to leave Syria. Assad has pledged to “eliminate” the terrorists advancing toward the capital and to hold accountable their “sponsors and supporters,” amid assertions that HTS militants received training from Ukrainian military intelligence.
Russian and Syrian warplanes have conducted nearly continuous airstrikes targeting HTS positions since the onset of the terrorist offensive last week, resulting in the reported deaths of dozens of militants north of Homs on Saturday.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
