The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, attacked ISIS terrorists along the Palmyra-Homs road and in the area east of al-Qaryatayn.
Government troops also conducted raids southeast of the Tiyas crossroads, targeting ISIS positions near Qasr al-Hayr. If Qasr al-Hayr is liberated from ISIS, the army and the NDF will be able to further shorten their contact line with ISIS along the road to Palmyra.
Strategically, the goal of government forces is to isolate the ancient city from the western, northwestern and southwestern direction prior to storming it.
The government advance west Palmyra also plays an important role in drawing back ISIS forces involved in the battle for Deir Ezzor.
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