Syrian government forces, led by the Russian-trained 5th Legion and backed up by the Russian Aerospace Forces, have continued their offensive operations against ISIS terrorists in the countryside of the ancient city of Palmyra.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) recaptured the Al Taj hill, a number of points in the Mazburad Mountain, Qasr al-Halabat, Sukkari and Syria Tal from ISIS terrorists.
According to local sources, pro-government forces are now pushing along the road linking the al-Busairi crossroad and Palmyra. In this case, Jabal al-Khan, Jabal Abtar, the Sawwanah Junction and the Khufayfis Phosphate Mine will become the main targets of the SAA and its allies before they reach the town of al-Bardah and the al-Busairi crossroad.
Strategically, this advance shows that the Syrian military is aiming to further secure the Homs-Palmyra highway from the southern and northern directions.
The push of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) militant coalition against ISIS in the desert southwest of Palmyra also contributes to the Syrian Armed Forces’ concerns. If the FSA reaches al-Bardah and the al-Busairi crossroad first, they will be able to threaten the southern flank of the government forces deployed in the Tiyas Airbase.
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