Palmyra offensive (March 2016) explained

Width:400px
Conflict:Palmyra offensive (March 2016)
Partof:the Syrian Civil War and the Russian military intervention in Syria
Date:9 – 27 March 2016
Place:Tadmur District, Eastern Homs Governorate, Syria
Result:Decisive Syrian Army victory
  • Syrian Army captures Palmyra city and its area[1] [2] [3]
Combatant1: Syria



Allied militias:
Hezbollah[4]
Iraqi Shi'ite militias:

Liwa Fatemiyoun[7]
Liwa Sayf al-Mahdi[8]
Ba'ath Brigades[9]
Galilee Forces[10]

Combatant2: Islamic State
Commander1: Major General Suheil al-Hassan[11]
(Operations chief commander)
Ali Rahmoun[12] [13]
(Syrian Marines commander)
Colonel Ali Shaheen[14]
(Panther Forces Brigade commander)
Colonel Shadi Isma'el
(Cheetah Forces commander)[15]
Suleiman al-Shwakh[16]
(Desert Commandos commander)
"The Uncle" Abu Ismail[17]
(Military Security Shield Forces commander)
Col. Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov
(Russian forces commander)
Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Zhuravlev[18]
(Russian operations commander)
Sen. Lt. Alexander Prokhorenko[19]
(Spetsnaz commander)
Commander2: Sultan bin 'Abdel-Rahman[20]
(Emir of Palmyra)
Khalil Mohameed[21]
(Emir of Palmyra)
Units1: Syrian Armed Forces

Russian forces

Date:19 Nov 2019

IRGC advisors
Hezbollah

  • National Ideological Resistance[31]
Units2: Military of ISIL
Strength1:6,000+
Strength2: 2,000+ (per Syrian Army)
Casualties1: 391 killed[32]
12 killed[33]
3 killed
Casualties2: 417 killed (per SOHR)
450 killed (per Syrian Army)[34]
500+ killed (per Russia; 20–27 March)[35]

The Palmyra offensive (March 2016) was a military operation of the Syrian Arab Army, supported by Russian airstrikes,[36] to recapture from the Islamic State the city of Tadmur (near the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra), which was strategically important for both forces due to its position in central Syria.[37] The city was fully recaptured on 27 March.

Offensive

Battle for the hills

First week

On 9 March 2016, heavy Russian airstrikes started hitting the Palmyra area, with 32 ISIL fighters reported killed by the next day.[38] As of 14 March, 80 airstrikes and 200 rockets and artillery shells had hit the city.[39] The Syrian Arab Army's Central Command stated their next aim after eventually capturing Palmyra would be Deir ez-Zor.[40]

Major ground fighting started on 12 March, when the Syrian Army attacked the village of Al-Dawah, west of Palmyra,[22] while the next day they assaulted Jabal Qassoun mountain, where Palmyra Castle is located.[41] In all, the military's attack was directed against three flanks of Palmyra in an attempt to surround the city.[42] In preparation for the offensive, ISIL built strong defenses in the city and trenches around it.

On 14 March, the military captured Hill 800 and Hill 853, which are part of Jabal Hayyan mountain, southwest of Palmyra,[5] [43] while the ISIL emir of the city, Khalil Mohameed, was reportedly killed when a rocket hit his headquarters.

On 15 March, government forces fully secured Jabal Hayyan mountain,[44] after capturing Hill 900.[45] The advance brought the military to within four kilometers west and south of Palmyra.[46] Elsewhere, fighting continued in Al-Dawah, while Army units were also attempting to advance towards the Brigade 550 Base.[22] Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes on the road between Palmyra and Al-Sukhnah left 26 people dead.[47]

Second week

On 17 March, ISIL took advantage of a sandstorm and launched a counter-attack[45] against Point 939 and the Jabal Hayyan mountain, though the Army repelled the assault.[4] Later that day, Syrian Marines from the Latakia Governorate and Hezbollah fighters were sent as reinforcements to Palmyra to strengthen the government forces for the assault on the city.[26] ISIL also sent reinforcements.[45] The same day, a Russian Special Operations Forces operative, Sen. Lt. Alexander Prokhorenko, responsible for performing target acquisition for designated Russian airstrikes was killed when he ordered an airstrike on himself after being surrounded by ISIL fighters. Prokhorenko's death garnered international media attention and was hailed as a hero.

The following day, the SAA seized the Tal Mattar hilltop, close to the Palmyra Castle,[48] after which they continued to advance, capturing Tal Areen hill.[49] Concurrently with the Syrian Army ground offensive, Russia was conducting 20–25 airstrikes daily on ISIL positions in and around Palmyra. ISIL claimed to have killed six Syrian soldiers, five Russian soldiers and several Hezbollah fighters in the defense of Qasr al-Halabat west of Palmyra. An ISIL website released a video showing the body of a man in military gear, described as a Russian military advisor, with equipment including a customised AK-74M rifle, a helmet, a compass and a pack of bandages with instructions written in Russian. The body, however, was possibly one of the few ethnic-Russian PMCs from the "Wagner Group" killed or reported missing around the Palmyra suburbs. On 17 March, PMC Vadim Tumakov was confirmed killed by fighting in Palmyra.[50] [51]

On 20 March, the SAA captured two hills overlooking the Ithriyah–Palmyra highway, cutting off of one of ISIL's main supply routes to the city.[52] The next day, the SAA made more advances,[53] as they assaulted the Jabal Al-Tar hilltop.[54] 26 Syrian Marines, including their commander Ali Rahmoun, were killed during the day's clashes.[12] 17 of the Marines died as a result of a friendly fire accident when they were hit with a Russian missile. Another 26 were wounded.[13] Meanwhile, IRGC advisors and Liwa Fatemiyoun units arrived as another wave of pro-government reinforcements.[7]

On 21 March, a large convoy of reinforcements from the NDF units of Fouj Al-Joulan and Liwaa Suqour Al-Quneitra arrived at the western countryside of Palmyra, raising the number of pro-government forces in the area to more than 6,000.[55] The next evening, government advances continued with the support of 50 airstrikes[56] and the Army seized the Palmyra Triangle road junction.[57] [58] [59] Subsequently, around 120 explosives were cleared from the Triangle area.

As of 23 March, the military was within one or two kilometers of the city on the south side and five kilometers on the west side,[60] [61] as they reached the outskirts of Palmyra,[62] after seizing the al-Hayal mountain range,[63] including its hills that overlook the town.[64] A soldier stated on state TV that they expected to capture the city within hours.[60]

Close-quarters fighting

The following day, the Army was one kilometer from the town and facing stiff resistance as it tried to penetrate the city limits.[65] They attacked the strategic Semiramis Hotel, on the outskirts of Palmyra, approaching to within 70 meters of the hotel.[66] Fighting also reached the edge of the southwestern al-Gharf neighbourhood. As the clashes raged, ISIL urged civilians through loudspeakers to leave the city.[67] In the afternoon, government forces managed to fully capture the Semiramis Hotel,[68] as well as Muhtar Mount, Al-Zera'a roundabout, Al-Tar Mountain, the Tombs Valley and the Mozeh Palace,[69] [70] a luxury villa which ISIL used as a headquarters and previously belonged to the House of Thani (the Qatari Royal family). In the evening, the Army entered the first houses in the southwestern part of Palmyra.[70]

On the morning of 25 March, pro-government forces took control of several hilltops on the western and northwestern side of Palmyra, including near Palmyra Castle.[71] Later that day, the castle itself was captured,[72] [73] [74] as well as reportedly the Brigade 550 Base.[75] Government forces were also reported to have reached the Palmyra Prison, after seizing most of the Palmyra Orchards[76] and the city's airbase.[77] Fighting also raged at the archaeological sites where government force's progress was slow due to the lack of artillery support for the sake of protecting the ruins.[78] At this point, ISIL forces started withdrawing their equipment from Palmyra and planting land mines.[72]

On 26 March, state TV reported the military captured three neighborhoods inside Palmyra,[79] including the northern district of Al-Amiriya, as well as the neighborhoods of Mutaqa'ideen and Al-Jami'a.[80] The opposition activist group the SOHR confirmed the capture of Al-Amiriya,[81] but stated the other two neighborhoods were still being contested, with ISIL conducting counter-attacks with car-bombs against advancing government forces.[82] Most apartment blocks in the city's residential area were damaged by the fighting and several had completely collapsed.[83] Later, SOHR confirmed the capture of Mutaqa'ideen and Al-Jami'a and reported government troops secured 35% of the city, while ISIL fighters were retreating towards the Al-Sukhnah area, east of Palmyra.[84] [85] [86]

On the dawn of 27 March, the city was fully captured by the SAA after ISIL defenses collapsed.[1] [3] Sporadic fighting continued in the eastern outskirts of Palmyra between government forces and ISIL fighters who refused to retreat,[87] concentrated at the prison and the airbase.[88] However, most of ISIL's forces had withdrawn to the east.[89] Later in the day, the prison and the airbase were captured as the remaining 30 ISIL militants fought to the death.[90]

Aftermath

See also: Battle of al-Qaryatayn (March–April 2016) and Palmyra offensive (December 2016).

After the liberation of the city, a Russian military convoy, including armored personnel carriers, arrived to help in the process of clearing Palmyra of explosives left by retreating ISIL forces. Meanwhile, a mass grave containing the bodies of 24 civilians and 18 soldiers was discovered. In all, at least 280 people are believed to had been executed by ISIL during its control of the town. Overall, between 29 March and 30 April, Russian and Syrian explosive-disposal teams removed 4,000 explosive devices in the ruins and another 1,000 in the town.[91]

On 5 May, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and Sergei Roldugin performed at the Roman amphitheatre of Palmyra in a highly publicized event.[92]

In another offensive military operation in December 2016, ISIL reconquered Palmyra and its surroundings,[93] with the Syrian government and its allies retaking it again in 2017.

Reactions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Syrian forces retake historic city of Palmyra from Islamic State. Associated Press. 27 March 2016. chicagotribune.com. 27 March 2016.
  2. Web site: بعد معارك استمرت لـ 3 أسابيع قوات النظام تستعيد السيطرة على كامل مدينة تدمر وخسائر بشرية فادحة في صفوف تنظيم "الدولة الإسلامية". khaled. المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. 27 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  3. Web site: Breaking: Syrian Armed Forces liberate Palmyra. Leith Fadel. 27 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 27 March 2016. 15 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160915133818/http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-syrian-armed-forces-liberate-palmyra-2/. dead.
  4. Web site: Syrian Army, Hezbollah overwhelm ISIS in west Palmyra: dozens killed. Leith Fadel. 17 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 17 March 2016. 22 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190422060730/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-hezbollah-overwhelm-isis-west-palmyra-dozens-killed/. dead.
  5. Web site: Tiger Forces liberate Hill 800 in west Palmyra. Leith Fadel. 14 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 16 March 2016. 10 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190510162501/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/tiger-forces-liberate-hill-800-west-palmyra/. dead.
  6. Web site: Breaking: Syrian Army, Hezbollah liberate Al-Amariyah in northern Palmyra. Leith Fadel. 26 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 26 March 2016. 1 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200101094751/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-syrian-army-hezbollah-liberate-al-amariyah-northern-palmyra/. dead.
  7. Web site: Iranian special forces arrive in Palmyra to help liberate the city. Leith Fadel. 21 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 21 March 2016. 2 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160402215027/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/irgc-soldiers-arrive-palmyra-help-liberate-city/. dead.
  8. Web site: Liwa Sayf al-Mahdi: A Syrian Army Shi'i Militia. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. 6 August 2016. 7 August 2016.
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    Heavy Russian Airstrikes as Syrian Army Fights IS in Palmyra
    The ancient city of Palmyra could be restored in 5 years
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  71. Web site: Breaking: Syrian Army, Hezbollah liberate several hilltops overlooking Palmyra. Leith Fadel. 25 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 25 March 2016. 25 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125052423/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-syrian-army-hezbollah-liberate-important-hilltop-near-palmyra/. dead.
  72. News: Syrian Army Said to Be Closer to Retaking Palmyra. 26 March 2016. The New York Times.
  73. Web site: Islamic State under siege in Palmyra, militant leader killed. Dominic Evans and Andrea Shalal. 25 March 2016. Reuters.
  74. Web site: Field Report: Syrian Army retakes Palmyra Castle. Map Update. Zen Adra. 25 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 25 March 2016. 27 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160327073116/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/field-report-syrian-army-retakes-palmyra-castle-map-update/. dead.
  75. Web site: ISIS in disarray as the Syrian Army, Hezbollah liberate Brigade 550 in northern Palmyra. Leith Fadel. 25 March 2016. Al-Masdar News.
  76. Web site: Syrian Army, Hezbollah officially enter Palmyra City. Leith Fadel. 25 March 2016. Al-Masdar News.
  77. Web site: Battle for Palmyra enters critical stage as the Syrian Army advances inside the city. Leith Fadel. 26 March 2016. Al-Masdar News. 26 March 2016. 26 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160326034958/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-hezbollah-attempt-advance-palmyra-amid-fierce-resistance-isis/. dead.
  78. Web site: The battle for Palmyra will reveal how much damage was done to Syria's priceless relics. Los Angeles Times. 25 March 2016. Los Angeles Times.
  79. Backed by Russian airstrikes, Syria works to retake Palmyra . Christian Science Monitor . 26 March 2016. AP. 27 March 2016.
  80. Web site: The army establishes full control over several neighborhoods in Palmyra city and areas in Hama. Rasha milhem. 26 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  81. Web site: Regime forces advance in Tadmur city. jack. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 26 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  82. Web site: Syrian forces battle Isis fighters in Palmyra. the Guardian. 26 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  83. Web site: Syria troops press advance after blow to Islamic State in Palmyra. Firstpost. 28 March 2016. Firstpost.
  84. Web site: Syrian army, with Russian air support, advances inside Palmyra. Dominic Evans. 27 March 2016. Reuters UK. 27 March 2016.
  85. Web site: Advances for Regime forces in Tadmur city as it force IS to pull back. jack. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 26 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  86. Web site: JUST IN: Palmyra 'recaptured' from ISIL, military source. euronews. 26 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  87. Web site: IS pulls back into Tadmur outskirts. jack. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 27 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  88. Web site: Regime forces breaks into Tadmur prison. jack. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 27 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  89. Web site: Syrian army recaptures Palmyra from ISIS - Business Insider. 27 March 2016. Business Insider. 27 March 2016.
  90. Web site: Regime forces takes control on Tadmur prison and military airport. jack. Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 27 March 2016. 27 March 2016.
  91. http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2016/06/100-syrians-200-russians-11-dogs-witted-isis-saved-palmyra/ How 100 Syrians, 200 Russians and 11 dogs out-witted ISIS and saved Palmyra
  92. News: A Russian orchestra plays Bach and Prokofiev in the ruins of Palmyra. 8 May 2016. The Economist. 6 May 2016.
  93. News: A Russian orchestra plays Bach and Prokofiev in the ruins of Palmyra. 9 December 2016. Angus McDowall. Reuters. 8 December 2016.
  94. Web site: Egypt welcomes liberation of Palmyra from Daesh terrorist. State Information Services. 30 March 2016.
  95. Web site: Iran's SNSC Secretary Congratulates Syria on Palmyra Liberation. Tasnim News Agency. 28 March 2016.
  96. Web site: Russia's Putin congratulates Syria's Assad on regaining Palmyra. Reuters Editorial. 27 March 2016. Reuters. 27 March 2016.
  97. Web site: Assad hails Syrian regime's capture of Palmyra from Isis . The Guardian. 27 March 2016 .
  98. Web site: Ban Ki-moon hails removal of IS from Syria's Palmyra. https://web.archive.org/web/20160329090850/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/ban-ki-moon-hails-removal-of-is-from-syrias-palmyra/articleshow/51577444.cms. dead. 2016-03-29. The Economic Times.
  99. Web site: IS video claims to show group still in control of Palmyra. Middle East Eye.
  100. WOW: State Dept Rep - Syria's army should not liberate Palmyra from ISIS?. 24 March 2016. YouTube.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Palmyra offensive (March 2016)".

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