ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

Jura said:

... there appear to be several ISIL attacks going on against Government "Palmyra protrusion"
... let's wait and see if they can be quickly stopped from the air (Russian choppers are stationed in the middle of it! May 15, 2016
) plus by response unit(s) from Homs area

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Jura said:

...
now I read in Twitter Government had lost "Jabal Hayyal":

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Jura said:

... the situation was deteriorating for Government

...
I mean it could be difficult even to get out of Palmyra if ...

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Ancient city of Palmyra on the verge of capture by ISIS
By

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- 10/12/2016

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:30 P.M.) - The so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham" (ISIS) has reportedly seized the Tar Mountains and Al-'Amariyah District in Palmyra after a swift assault that began on Thursday.

According to a military correspondent at the T-4 Military Airport in east Homs, the remaining Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers inside the city are attempting to withdraw safely from Palmyra before the terrorist group seizes the final districts.

Despite repeated claims of reinforcements arriving, the Syrian Arab Army was greatly outnumbered during this terrorist offensive, which ultimately led them to concede large parts of the Homs Governorate's eastern countryside.

While Palmyra has not completely fallen, most of the city is surrounded by Islamic State terrorists, making the evacuation of the residents the top priority for the Syrian Arab Army and their allies.

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delft said:

From AMN:

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- 10/12/2016

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Russian air strikes 'force IS out of Palmyra'

Fighters from the so-called Islamic State group have been forced from the centre of the Syrian city of Palmyra, hours after they tried to retake it.

Russian air strikes forced the militants to retreat to the outskirts, Russia and local activists say.

The Syrian army also sent reinforcements to the city, reportedly diverting troops from Aleppo.

Now the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says "intense" bombing from Russian planes forced IS to withdraw to the orchards on the city's outskirts.

Fighting continues in those areas.

Moscow said the Syrian army had repelled IS with air support from its forces. The Russian defence ministry said it had carried out 64 strikes during the operation, and claimed to have killed more than 300 militants.

Reports said IS militants had driven cars filled with explosives during the battle.

IS held the Unesco World Heritage site of Palmyra from May 2015 until they were forced out in March this year.

The group launched its offensive earlier in the week. Its fighters re-entered Palmyra on Saturday, when a local activist told the BBC that the city had fallen "more or less" into IS hands.

Now the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says "intense" bombing from Russian planes forced IS to withdraw to the orchards on the city's outskirts.

Fighting continues in those areas.

Moscow said the Syrian army had repelled IS with air support from its forces. The Russian defence ministry said it had carried out 64 strikes during the operation, and claimed to have killed more than 300 militants.

Reports said IS militants had driven cars filled with explosives during the battle.

Palmyra is seen as strategic for IS because it lies close to oil fields.

IS destroyed a number of monuments and beheaded the archaeological director during its 10-month occupation of the site and the adjacent city of Tadmur.

Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins.

The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous.

The latest battled in Palmyra happened as the Syrian army closed in on the remaining rebel-held area of the city of Aleppo.

Rebel forces said on Saturday that they had halted the advance of government forces in the pockets they still control in Aleppo.

One rebel commander said a reason for the slowed government advance could be the redeployment of troops to Palmyra.

However, the Syrian government has been continuously advancing on the rebel areas, backed by Russian air support, and now reportedly controls 93% of the city.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry called on the Syrian government and the Russian military to "show a little grace" as they mopped up the remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

He was speaking after a meeting in Paris of governments that back the Syrian opposition.

US and Russian officials are due to meet in Geneva to discuss the possible evacuation of civilians and rebel fighters from Aleppo. But analysts say an agreement looks unlikely.

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Jura said:

based on numerous sources, I put down this guess of the current lines:

in short, Government holds the junction(s) to the south-west ("the way in/out"), but lost the Grain Silos, so ISIL is "at the gates" (broke through also from the hills up north)

the fights go on as I write

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