Recapture of Palmyra to Open Up Paths to North for Syrian Forces
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra from Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group by the Syrian army and allied forces will pave the way for the further advancement of the forces toward the north and northeast of the war-hit country, reports said.
Given the strategic importance of Palmyra and its geographical location, the liberation of the city from the Daesh terrorists will open the path to other terrorist-held areas in northern and northeastern Syria, the Arabic-language al-Ahed news website reported.
Palmyra, a city that links central Syria to the eastern parts of the Arab country, is located 135kilometers from Homs and 200km east of Damascus. It is also 145km from the northern city of Raqqa and 190km from the northeastern city of Deir ez-Zor, which are the main strongholds of Daesh.
The Syrian army said on Thursday it had recaptured Palmyra from Daesh for the second time in a year, with help from allied forces and Russian warplanes.
"With backing from the Syrian and Russian air forces, units of our armed forces recaptured the city of Palmyra, in cooperation with the allies," the military said in a statement.
Daesh seized Palmyra in a surprise advance in December, after having been driven out eight months before.
The army and its allies advanced inside Palmyra on Thursday as the foreign-backed militants withdrew completely.
Daesh militants retreated to areas in the east. Government forces took control of swathes of Palmyra and conducted combing operations to clear mines on Thursday.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
