BY LEITH FADEL ON MAY 16, 2015

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched another powerful assault on the defensive barriers of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra (Tadmur), attempting to infiltrate past the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) frontline defenses at the northern, southern, and western flanks on Sunday morning.

On Saturday morning, ISIS militants attacked the Syrian Armed Forces defensive barriers at the Palmyra National Hospital, where they attempted to break-through the 18th Tank Battalion’s fortifications after they took control of the strategic Al-‘Amuriyah Housing District to the north of this city in the eastern part of the Homs Governorate.

In addition to their attack on the Palmyra National Hospital, ISIS was able to briefly infiltrate into the northern sector of the city, capturing three residential building blocks after fierce clashes with the SAA’s 18th Battalion at the outskirts of Palmyra around 10 A.M. Damascus Time.

However, the SAA’s 18th Battalion – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Falcons Brigade) – launched a counter-assault on the militants from ISIS at Mount Qassoun located east of the city, resulting in the recapture of the strategic Radio and Television Communication Hill, along with the Palmyra Castle after killing over 40 enemy combatants.

Following their recapture of Mount Qassoun, the Syrian Armed Forces attacked the combatants from ISIS at the ancient aqueducts, where they were able to take full control of this area, including the Palmyra Dam to the west, forcing the militants to withdrawal from the western flank.

According to a military source from Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra, the Syrian Armed Forces successfully forced ISIS to pull out of the northern sector of Palmyra; this has allowed for the SAA’s 18th Battalion to secure all defensive barriers around this ancient city.

Fierce firefights were also reported at the Al-Hayl and Al-Arak Oil Fields, as the Syrian Armed Forces and ISIS exchange rounds of gunfire and mortar shells for control of this area.

تدمر: معارك عنيفة بين الجيش و ارهابيي داعش ومقتل ابو مالك التميمي سعودي الجنسية 

Syrian army battles ISIS terrorists in Palmyra, reinforces its control of key points in Jabal al-Arba'een in Idlib

PROVINCES,(ST)_Syrian army has been engaged in fierce battles with the ISIS terrorists in Palmyra countryside and in the eastern Hama countryside and has reinforced its control of strategic points in Jabal al-Arba'een outside Idlib.

A military source declared today that fierce battles flared up between army units and terrorists affiliated to the ISIS [Its Arabic Acronym is Daesh] on the outskirts of the Arak oil field, the 3^rd station for conveying oil and in the northern and eastern farms of Palmyra city.

It confirmed the death of scores of ISIS terrorists in the battles that synchronized with airstrikes against the ISIS groupings on the outskirts of the 'Hil' field and east of 'Jezal' field as well as at al-Dour checkpoint and in Qarrat al-Tawahin area in Palmyra countryside.

"Army units repelled ISIS terrorists' infiltration bids into the 3^rd station for conveying oil, east of Palmyra, and into the radio broadcasting plateau, south of the historic Palmyra citadel," the source added, indicating the 5 ISIS armored cars were destroyed and scores of terrorists, most of them were of foreign nationals, were eliminated east of Palmyra.

Infiltration bids

Further terrorists died as army units foiled infiltration bids on Sabbora-Ethria axis and at Syriatel point and al-Rahraha area in the eastern Hama countryside, which is adjacent to Palmyra countryside.

Meanwhile, army units carried out concentrated strikes against al-Nusra Front hideouts in al-Latamneh town and in Jabal al-Arbaeen area in Idlib countryside.

The strikes on the al-Nusra Front hideouts in Jabal al-Arabaeen were carried out by army's special units for reinforcing the army's control of strategic point there, a military source clarified, adding that a big quantity of weapons and munitions belonging to the al-Nusra Front terrorists were destroyed in the strikes.

Yesterday, army units destroyed 14 cars equipped with heavy machine guns in Idlib countryside.

Moving towards the south of the country, army units pounded several terrorist hideouts in the eastern countryside of Quneitra and in the northern countryside of Daraa and thwarted a terrorist group's infiltration bid into Tal Asfar in the northeastern countryside of Sweida.

A military source said that all the terrorist group's members were mowed down during the confrontation that erupted on the outskirts of Tal Asfar, about 45km far away from Sweida city.

It added that an army unit killed an armed terrorist group near Dama town, about 37km north-west of Sweida city.

In Damascus countryside, army units eliminated many terrorists in the eastern Ghouta and in Zabadani area.

Separately, SANA reported that 98 wanted persons from Damascus and its suburbs turned themselves in to the competent authorities for regularizing their situation.

Basma Qaddour

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