Source: Fars News
The Syrian Army Forces pounded ISIL’s movements and strongholds in Eastern Badiyeh (desert) of Homs province, inflicting major losses on the terrorists on Friday.

The army soldiers engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL near Humeimeh and T2 Oil Pumping Station in Eastern Badiyeh, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.

In the meantime, the army aircraft pounded ISIL’s positions and movements in a region between Homs and Deir Ezzur provinces, destroying several positions and military vehicles and killing or wounding a large number of terrorists.

Major General Alexei Tsygankov, the chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said on Wednesday that officers of the Center found an ammo cache in the village of Um-Sharshuh, Homs province.

“Thanks to intelligence obtained by the Syrian security agencies, an ammo cache was recovered in the Eastern part of the populated locality of Um-Sharshuh. An anti-tank guided missile, three reactive shaped charge mines, 52 hand anti-tank grenade launchers and over 8,500 pieces of ammunition were handed over to the government forces,” the Russian commander said.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian observers registered some ceasefire violations in Aleppo, Deir Ezzur, Lattakia and Dara’a provinces.

Syrian field engineers trained by Russian specialists have searched 20 buildings in the town of Douma and Eastern Ghouta and destroyed three mines, four shells and 17 improvised explosive devices. At least 35 mines and 21 improvised explosive devices were found in East Kafr Laha, Homs province.

Source: Al Masdar News
The Islamic State (ISIL) is having a rough time this weekend as they continue to lose large swathes of territory to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) across the country.

In particular, the Islamic State has found themselves in serious trouble in the central part of the country, thanks in large part to the Syrian Army’s airborne operation that was conducted last night in the Homs Governorate.

Syrian paratroopers landed 20km behind ISIL’s lines on Friday night, catching the terrorist group off-guard and forcing them to withdraw from the entire Al-Kadeer area near Al-Qawm.

As a result of this operation, the Syrian Arab Army’s units in the Homs Governorate have almost linked up with their forces in the Al-Raqqa Governorate town of Resafa.

Once the Syrian Army reaches the southern countryside of Al-Resafa, the Islamic State will be fully besieged in central Syria, as they will have no route to retreat from both east Hama and Homs.

Source: RT
Syria wants the US and its allies to pay for the destruction of Syrian infrastructure and to bear legal responsibility for “illegitimately” bombing civilian targets, Damascus has told the UN, demanding that the American-led coalition strikes stop.

The Syrian “Government insists that these attacks must come to an end, and that the members of this illegitimate coalition must bear the political and legal responsibility for the destruction of infrastructure in the Syrian Arab Republic, including responsibility for compensation,” the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations said in letters addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council.

Stating that the ongoing US-led anti-terrorist airstrikes “continue to claim the lives of hundreds of innocent Syrian civilians,” Damascus claimed that the bombings had led to a “near-total destruction” of homes and vital infrastructure, including the “utter destruction” of oil and gas facilities.

The attacks, along with US and EU-imposed economic restrictions on Syria “are impeding the maintenance of those economic facilities and jeopardizing the prospects for development and reconstruction” in the country, the letters, written last week, said.

To support their claims, Syria’correspondence referred to two recent cases where the coalition’s jets destroyed oil and gas facilities. Damascus also said the May 27 bombardment of Hasu Albu Awf village in the Hasakah governorate, “completely” destroyed many homes and killed at least eight civilians, “most of them children.”

On Friday, the US-led coalition announced the demolition of a number of oil and gas facilities in various parts of Syria which allegedly belonged to the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group.

Targeting the terrorists’ illegal oil trade and jihadist infrastructure has been a cornerstone of both American and Russian strategies in Syria. But while Moscow coordinates its strikes with the Syrian government, the Washington-led operation has been harshly criticized for its indiscriminate bombing practices and doing so without communicating with Syrian government forces.

Damascus’ letters to the UN once again underlined that the American air campaign is being conducted in violation of international law, as it lacks any form of consent or authorization from the Syrian government.

Raqqa, known as the stronghold of IS, has been the main focus of the US operation in Syria, where Washington is guiding and supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

While the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve this month confirmed a total of 603 civilian deaths in the US-led air campaign in Syria and Iraq, Airwars, a UK-based group that monitors airstrikes and civilian casualties, claimed this week that it tracked “more than 700 likely civilian deaths” in Raqqa alone – even before the battle for the city began in June.

Source: Fars News
The Syrian army continued operations in the Eastern parts of Homs province, and extended the range of its advances in regions near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur).

The Syrian army units engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists in Badiyeh (deserts) of Palmyra South of the city and regained control over vast areas near al-Abtar mountain after killing several ISIL members.

Meantime, the Syrian air force pounded ISIL’s positions and moves in areas near the wheat silos and al-Sukhneh region, destroying a number of military vehicles and inflicting losses on the terrorists.

Also, the army’s artillery units targeted the ISIL bases in al-Sawame’ (wheat silos) region, smashing 3 military vehicles.

Earlier today, the Syrian army’s artillery and missile units along with the country’s Air Force hit hard the positions of ISIL in Eastern Homs and Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front or the Levant Liberation Board) in Northern and Northwestern parts of the province, inflicting tens of casualties on the terrorists.

The warplanes carried out several combat flights over ISIL’s positions and movements in the regions of Um al-Raman, Fat’hat al-Mahasah, Ibn Arsan mount, East of the city of Palmyra (Tadmur), al-Bardeh and East of the town of al-Quaryatayn in Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Homs, killing a number of terrorists, including several non-Syrians.

A large volume of ISIL’s arms, ammunition and military hardware were damaged in the air raids.

In the meantime, the artillery and missile units shelled the positons of Al-Nusra in the towns and villages of Talbiseh, East of al-Rastan, al-Za’afaraneh, Taldou, al-Tibeh al-Qarbi, Kafr Laha and Aqrab in Northern and Northwestern Homs, destroying terrorists’ positions and command posts and killing several militant commanders.

Source: Fars News
The Syrian Army soldiers continued to hit ISIL’s positions Northwest of the newly-liberated city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and managed to capture an energy-rich region after killing and wounding tens of terrorists.

The army troops and resistance forces engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL and drove the terrorists out of Jazal oilfield, inflicting tens of casualties on the militants.

Field sources said pro-government forces are about to reinvigorate security of Palmyra by widening security in areas around the city.

In relevant developments in the province on Sunday, the army troops engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL terrorists in the Southeastern outskirts of Palmyra and seized back the city’s military airport and an area stretching over 2km North of the airport, killing and wounding a number of militants.

Local sources said that the army men then clashed with ISIL terrorists in a region near the wheat silos and continued to advance against the terrorists towards the Northeastern outskirts of Palmyra.

The sources added that simultaneous with ground forces’ advances, the Syrian Air Force and the army’s artillery and missile units targeted ISIL’s positions and concentration centers near the wheat silos and near the two oilfields of al-Sha’er and Jazal Northwest of Palmyra.

Tens of ISIL terrorists were killed and several command posts, positions and military vehicles were destroyed in the attacks.

Damascus and Kremlin both declared on Thursday that the Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, took back the key city of Palmyra from the ISIL terrorist group.

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city of Palmyra in Homs province was 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 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.

As at 4 March 2017
Source: Fars News

The Syrian army troops have killed or injured more than 1,000 ISIL terrorists during the military operation to recapture the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) in Eastern Homs, a senior Russian military official said on Saturday.

Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, the Chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said that ISIL lost at least 1,000 of its militants in the Syrian Army troops’ operation that ended in the liberation of Palmyra from the terrorists.

The Russian General added that the Syrian forces also destroyed 19 tanks, 37 armored vehicles, 98 pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted on them and more than 100 automobiles during the operation.

Damascus and Kremlin both declared on Thursday that the Syrian Army, backed by the Russian Air Force, took back the key city of Palmyra from the ISIL terrorist group.

Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city of Palmyra in Homs province was 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 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.