RNA - Damascus and Kremlin both declared on Thursday that the Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, has taken back the key city of Palmyra (Tadmur) from the ISIL terrorist group.
Hours after Moscow declared the liberation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Homs province, the General Command of the Syrian Army also confirmed the report.
The terrorist groups also sustained heavy casualties in other key provinces across Syria.
Homs
Damascus and Kremlin both declared on Thursday that the Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, has taken back the key city of Palmyra from the ISIL terrorist group.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated on Thursday that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city of Palmyra in Homs province has been liberated.
Hours after Moscow declared the liberation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Homs province, the General Command of the Syrian Army also confirmed the report.
The Syrian army forces broke the ISIL defense lines in Palmyra on Wednesday night and entered the ancient city after liberating the Palmyra Triangle and Castle, cutting off the ISIL supply routes towards the historic city.
According to reports, the ISIL terrorists evacuated most parts of the city earlier on Thursday after planting bombs in its houses and roads.
ISIL kicked off a large-scale operation on December 8 with thousands of forces in Homs province to take control of Palmyra that was liberated by the Syrian Army in March 2016.
The ISIL took control over some energy fields and strategic heights and approached Palmyra.
The terrorist group finally entered the city of Palmyra on December 10, but the Russian and Syrian forces could repel their attacks, killing hundreds of them.
4,000 fighters of the ISIL carried out again a large-scale offensive against government positions in Palmyra from several flanks and finally managed to capture the city on December 11, while only 800 army soldiers were defending the city and there was no possibility for aerial coverage by the Russian and Syrian warplanes due to bad weather.
The Russia's center for Syrian reconciliation noted ISIL had moved considerable forces from their stronghold of Raqqa, while more forces and equipment were relocated from Deir Ezzur.
The center cited intelligence data that ISIL had moved up to 5,000 fighters to the cities of Raqqa and Deir Ezzur from the Iraqi stronghold of Mosul.
The Syrian Army, backed by the Syrian and Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated Palmyra in March, 2016, nearly a year after it was captured by ISIL in May 2015.
During the invasion, terrorists had cruelly destroyed a major portion of the historic sites in the city. UNESCO Chief Irina Bokova had warned that ISIL militants in both Iraq and Syria were responsible for "the most brutal and systematic" destruction of the ancient heritage since World War II.
Aleppo
The Syrian army drove back the ISIL terrorists from two more towns in Eastern Aleppo and dispatched reinforcements to the region to purge more regions of militants.
The army troops and their allies captured Janat Saleh town in Eastern Aleppo after heavy clashes with ISIL terrorists.
They also continued their advances in the region and won back control of Alsah town.
Meantime, a military source said that the Syrian soldiers are establishing their presence in the region, and added that reinforcement troops have been sent to purge terrorists from Za'raya, al-Ma'az and Um Tineh towns.
Earlier on Thursday, the Syrian army units continued anti-ISIL military operations in Eastern Aleppo, and won back control of new villages and towns.
The Syrian soldiers and their allies continued clashes with the ISIL terrorists after retaking control of Tayehat Toyat town.
The army troops imposed control over al-Amoudiyeh and al-Halisiyeh towns and several villages after inflicting heavy damages and losses on the militants.
The Syrian army troops resumed battle with ISIL in Eastern Aleppo on Wednesday and managed to take back another key town, laying siege on the terrorists in two other towns.
The army soldiers continued to drive ISIL out of more territories and seized back Talileh town, forcing terrorists to retreat to Moqbeleh and Abu Kahf towns.
Army reports said ISIL suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the attack.
A field source said that the army soldiers further advanced against ISIL in the region and could lay siege on them in Halisiyeh town from the North and in Abu Mandal town from the South.
The source added that the army soldiers plan to liberate the towns of Abu Kahf, Halisiyeh and Moqbeleh from ISIL.
Deir Ezzur
The Syrian fighter jets launched massive airstrikes against ISIL's moves and convoys near Deir Ezzur city, inflicting heavy damage and casualties on the terrorists.
The Syrian air force attacked ISIL positions and supply routes in the two districts of concrete brick factories near Liwa al-Tamin and al-Muhandeseen in the surrounding areas of Jabal al-Thardah and Hill 23 in al-Maqaber (Cemetery) region, killing and wounding tens of ISIL terrorists and destroying several military vehicles.
Meantime, the Syrian fighter jets targeted and blew up the ISIL military convoys moving from Raqqa to Deir Ezzur as well as a convoy in Hatlah village in the Eastern countryside of Deir Ezzur city, destroying several military vehicles and killing dozens of militants.
Damascus
The Syrian army troops and their allies continued military operations against al-Nusra (Fatah al-Sham) Front terrorists to liberate the two strategic towns of al-Qaboun and Barzeh in Eastern Damascus, and regained control of several farms in the region.
The Syrian army forces engaged in fierce clashes with the militants in Jobar and al-Qaboun, killing a number of terrorists, including al-Nusra Front's commander in al-Qaboun 'Abu Taha Ali'.
The Syrian soldiers also attacked the terrorists' centers in the farms between al-Qaboun and Barzeh and destroyed one of their ammunition depots.
Meantime, the Syrian army units could retake control of 4 farms in Barzeh after heavy clashes with the terrorists in Barzeh and Tishreen regions.
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