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Palmyra offensive (2017)

Coordinates: 34°33′36″N 38°16′02″E / 34.5600°N 38.2672°E / 34.5600; 38.2672
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For the previous offensives, see Palmyra offensive (May 2015), Palmyra offensive (July–August 2015), Palmyra offensive (March 2016), and Palmyra offensive (December 2016).

Palmyra offensive (2017)
Part of the Syrian Civil War and the Russian military intervention in Syria

Situation in southern Syria from 6 February to 30 April; Government advances are shown at the top of the map.
Date13 January – 2 March 2017
(1 month, 2 weeks and 3 days)[3][4]
Location
Tadmur District, Eastern Homs Governorate, Syria
Result

Syrian government victory

Belligerents

Syria
 Russia
Allied militias:
Hezbollah
Liwa Zainebiyoun[1]

CJTF–OIR[2]		 Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Maj. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan[8]
(Operations chief commander)
Maj. Gen. Mohammed Hassan Sultan[9]
(5th Corps commander)
Russia Col. Gen. Andrey Kartapolov
(Russian forces commander)
Russia Maj. Gen. Pyotr Milyukhin (WIA)[10]		 Abu Shaher al-Hassan †
(ISIL emir)[11]
Units involved

Syrian Armed Forces

Russia Russian Armed Forces and PMC allies

Hezbollah[1]

Military of ISIL
Strength

4,900+ soldiers[22][23][21]

  • 1,000 reinforcements from Latakia[23] (since 11 February)
  • 900+ Military Shield reinforcements[21] (since 23 February)

Unknown

(Some armoured vehicles)
Casualties and losses
Syria 115 killed[26]
Russia 18 killed (10 soldiers and 8 PMC)[24]		 283+ killed (per SOHR)[26]
1,000+ killed and wounded (per Russian MOD)[5][27][28]

The Palmyra offensive in 2017 was launched by the Syrian Arab Army against the armed forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Eastern Homs Governorate in January 2017, with the goal of recapturing Palmyra and its surrounding countryside. ISIL forces had retaken the city of Palmyra in a sudden offensive from 8 to 11 December, after previously being expelled from it by Syrian government and Russian forces in March 2016. On 2 March 2017, the Syrian Army alongside Russian reinforcement, succeeded again in recapturing the beleaguered city of Palmyra.

Background

[edit]
Main article: Palmyra offensive (December 2016)

In mid-December, ISIL launched an assault on Palmyra,[29] eventually taking full control of the city as the Syrian Army withdrew.[30] ISIL started advancing westwards from Palmyra to the Tiyas Military Airbase (also called al-Taifor and T4 airbase) after the city's capture, and nearly besieged it.[31]

Clashes continued around the airbase until the end of December,[32] when ISIL's assault was repelled.[33] In early January 2017, it was reported that ISIL was withdrawing from the areas around the airbase.[34]

Offensive

[edit]

Sometime between 12 and 13 January, the Syrian Army launched a counter-offensive.[35][3][36][37][38] At the start of the operation, Abu Hafs al-Mashrifi, ISIL's chief of security in Homs province, was killed in an artillery strike on his headquarters in the Huwaysis area.[3] On 14 January, the Army captured several points around al-Tayyas village,[38][39] as well as areas near the abandoned base, advancing to the Jazal Mountains. The military soon after launched an attack on the mountains.[40] It advanced further on 15 January, capturing the hills around the airbase.[41] ISIL managed to repel an attempt by the Army to advance around the airbase on 16 January.[42] Reinforcements and supplies for the Syrian Army arrived, for continuing the offensive.[43] On 19 January, the SAA stormed the southern countryside of the T-4 airbase and captured a large amount of territory near al-Qaryatayn, while also clearing several sites to the east of the pumping station and Tayfor village.[44] On 21 January, the Army recaptured the Jeb al-Murr area, in addition to advancing around the hills of al-Tiyas.[45]

On 25 January, the Syrian Army captured the al-Fawa'ra area, including a military base.[46] On 2 February, the Army captured al-Hattaniyyah and al-Marhatan areas[47] as well as the Jihar crossroads.[48] On 4 February, the Army recaptured the Hayyan gas fields.[49] On 5 February, the Army captured the Majbel Asphalt area, Al-Baydah al Sharqiyah and al-Baydah al-Gharbiyah.[50] On 7 February, ISIL recaptured the Hayyan gas fields.[51] On 10 February, the Army recaptured the Hayyan Hills.[52] On 11 February, ISIL recaptured the Majbel Asphalt area along with several surrounding points near the Hajjar crossroads.[53] including the Hayyan Hills. On 13 February, the Army resumed its offensive, attacking ISIL and attempted to recapture all of the Hayyan Hills.[54] On the next day, the Army broke through ISIL's defenses and recaptured the Hayyan gas fields.[55]

On 16 February, the Syrian Army entered the Jihar Gas Fields and clashed with ISIL fighters. ISIL recaptured several wells in the Hayyan gas fields.[56] On the same day, Russian forces suffered their first casualties, when a vehicular column from the Tiyas airbase to Homs was blown up by a remote-controlled IED, killing four Russian soldiers and wounding two others,[57] including Major General Pyotr Milyukhin who lost both legs and an eye.[citation needed] By this point, the Army was within 24 kilometres (15 mi) of Palmyra.[58] On 17 February, the Army captured the Eastern Bayarat area.[59] They also captured Al-Kalaabiyah Farms during the day, reasserting complete control over Western Bayarat.[60] An ISIL counterattack on Hayyan gas fields was repelled.[61] On 18 February, the Army captured the Tarfah Al-Gharbiyah area and imposed full control over the Hayyan gas fields while pushing to the outskirts of Jazal Mountains.[62] On the next day, they attacked the Jazal and al-Mahr oil fields[63] and captured several of ISIL's final positions in eastern part of Al-Bayarat.[64] On 20 February, it was reported to have captured Tarfah al-Sharqiyah.[65]

An ISIL tank near Palmyra shortly before its destruction by an CJTF–OIR airstrike on 27 February 2017.

The SAA resumed the offensive on 23 February, after pausing it to reinforce its positions at the Hayyan Gas Fields. The Syrian Army advanced towards the Driving School area of Palmyra during the day.[66] On 24 February, the Syrian Army captured the Palmyra communications tower in the Eastern Bayarat area, after a short battle with the retreating Islamic State forces, and reached Jabal Hayyal mountain, overlooking Palmyra.[67][68] On 26 February, it captured the hill of Tal SyriaTel, imposing fire control over Al-Mahr gas fields.[69] It later captured the highest point of Jabbal Hayyal, giving it fire control over the Palmyra Triangle area as well as southwestern part of the city itself. It also captured the Quarries area to the northwest of the city.[70] It also advanced and captured the quarries and all points overlooking al-Mahr oil fields.[71] On the next day, it captured an adjacent point from Hayyal Mount. It also captured al-Tamtheel village directly to west of Palmyra, reaching the strategic al-Tar mountain.[72] Its advances also brought it within 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of Palmyra.[73]

The Syrian Army captured the Palmyra Triangle area, Palmyra Castle, Qatari Castle, and al-Amriyah village, as well as many hilltops including Jabbal Hayyal and Jabbal al-Tar after an assault on 1 March.[74][75][76] On the same day, the Syrian army and allies backed by warplanes, had entered to the modern city of Palmyra and captured the al-Motaqadin street after captured the western and northern western sections of the city amid information about pulling back by ISIL from the city.[77][78] On the next day, ISIL launched a failed counter-attack following which SAA attacked and imposed full control over Jabal al-Tar and Palmyra Castle.[79] ISIL later withdrew from most of Palmyra, after they mined many points in the city. However, they left behind suicide bombers in the eastern districts of Palmyra, to cover the retreat of the ISIL militants, and to hamper the progress of the Syrian Army.[80][81][82] On 2 March, the Syrian Army recaptured the entire city of Palmyra, after ISIL fully withdrew from the city.[6] On the next day, the Syrian Army captured the Palmyra Airport,[83] and completely secured it on 4 March, after ISIL was forced to retreat to the Palmyra Grain Silos to the east of the airport.[84]

Losses

[edit]

283 ISIL militants, 115 Syrian Army soldiers and five Russian servicemen were reported killed during the offensive by the SOHR,[26] while the Russian military claimed more than 1,000 ISIL militants had been killed or wounded overall and that hundreds of ISIL vehicles were destroyed, including 19 tanks, 37 armored infantry fighting vehicles, 98 technicals and more than 100 other vehicles.[85]

Aftermath

[edit]
Main article: Eastern Homs offensive (2017)

The Syrian Army continued to advance in the regions around Palmyra, after the recapture of the city.[86][87][88][89][90] By late May 2017, all roads linking Damascus with Palmyra came under the control of the Syrian government.[91]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Tomson, Chris (2 March 2017). "Islamic State retreats from Palmyra amid stunning Syrian Army offensive". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Hezbollah, Russia and the U.S. help Syria retake Palmyra". The Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b c "ISIS security chief killed in Syrian army attack near Homs". ARA News. 12 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  4. ^ With a cover of intense air and land strikes… the regime forces advance to a distance of 10 kilometers of Palmyra city 42 days after the start of their counter military operation
  5. ^ a b "Russia's General Staff reveals details of Palmyra operation". TASS. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Syrian army announces recapture of Palmyra from Islamic State". Reuters. 2 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017.
  7. ^ Dearden, Lizzie (2 March 2017). "Isis driven out of ancient Syrian city of Palmyra for second time". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
  8. ^ The tiger reach Homs countryside to lead military operations against IS
  9. ^ "ISIS kills senior army commander in Palmyra". Zaman al Wasl. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  10. ^ O'Leary, Abigail (6 March 2017). "Putin's horror after general loses both legs and eye in roadside bomb during battle with ISIS for Palmyra". The Mirror. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Senior ISIL Commander Killed in Syrian Army Attack East of Homs". Fars News. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (24 December 2016). "The Fifth Legion: A New Auxiliary Force". Syria Comment. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
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  15. ^ "Ivan Sidorenko on Twitter". Archived from the original on 3 April 2017.
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  19. ^ Who are the pro-Assad militias in Syria? Middle East Eye, 25 September 2015
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  21. ^ a b c Leith Fadel (23 February 2016). "Exclusive: Over 900 Syrian Marines join elite military shield forces". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017.
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  23. ^ a b c Fadel, Leith (12 February 2017). "Russian special forces arrive in west Palmyra". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  24. ^ a b Russia underplayed losses in recapture of Syria's Palmyra
  25. ^ a b Albin Szakola (16 December 2016). "Hezbollah deploys to Palmyra front: report". NOW. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  26. ^ a b c Palmyra city restore operation kills more than 400 persons in about 50 days, leaves gas and oilfields in the grip of the “Islamic State” organization
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  32. ^ The regime forces shell the area around Inkhel and casualties in the regime forces’ ranks in the vicinity of T4 airbase
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  38. ^ a b Regime forces start a violent attack near the T4 airbase in Palmyra desert after more than one month for organization’s attack and control of wide areas of Palmyra and its desert
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  41. ^ The regime forces achieve advancement in hills near T4 airbase and a booby trapped detonation leaves casualties in the countryside of al-Bab
  42. ^ The “Islamic State” organization was able to repel the regime forces’ attempt to advance near the T4 airbase, causes casualties and injuries
  43. ^ 72 hours of offensive -and counting- by the regime in the western desert of Palmyra, more than 20 killed
  44. ^ Fadel, Leith (19 January 2017). "Syrian Army liberates large chunks of territory south of T-4 Airport". Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  45. ^ Shelling targets the countryside of Aleppo and the Syria desert witnesses the continuous clashes tween the regime forces against the “Islamic State” organization
  46. ^ The regime forces continue their clashes in Palmyra desert and achieve advancement near the airbase and renewed shelling targets the Eastern Ghouta
  47. ^ The regime forces continue their military operation and advance at the expense of the “Islamic State” organization in the western desert of Palmyra
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  80. ^ تنظيم “الدولة الإسلامية” ينسحب من مدينة تدمر بعد تلغيمه وتفخيخه لنقاط كثيرة فيها
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34°33′36″N 38°16′02″E / 34.5600°N 38.2672°E / 34.5600; 38.2672

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