palmyra
The Syrian Army has reportedly taken control of a medieval castle on the hill overlooking the city of Palmyra as the government troops edge closer to reclaiming the historic site from Islamic State terrorists.

"The army units in cooperation with popular defense groups have taken control of the Tadmor [Palmyra] citadel after delivering significant losses to the terrorists," SANA news agency reported, citing a military source. The Syrian military began the storming of the Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle, or Palmyra Castle, which was the last strategic height in the city held by the jihadists, on Friday morning.

The Syrian Army hasn't officially confirmed the recapture of Palmyra Castle, Ibrahim Isa, RT's stringer in Palmyra, said. "However, several units of the Syrian Army have managed to go in and break the defense line of the terrorists," he added, citing sources on the ground.


Comment: The citadel appears to have been taken, but Daesh is launching a counteroffensive:
"Our [Desert Falcon] assault team was able to enter the fortification. The second group is covering from a nearby height, and the militants are trying to counter-attack the citadel from the direction of the town. Fighters in the citadel are tasked with securing their position," the brigade commander told RIA Novosti.
Ziad Fadel adds:
As I write, the army is pushing deep into the city aiming to establish control over the Fuel Station. Resistance has been sporadic, the rats mostly relying on booby-trapped vehicles and IEDs. Each rat has been assigned a platoon whose sole purpose is to expose him and kill him. According to Monzer, there are only about 600 rodents left in the city, some of whom are known to be preparing for a pullout or a negotiated surrender - an event which will not happen, by the way. ... With almost no population to speak of, the army is not attacking gingerly when it comes to blasting whole areas of the city. We are only hours away from total liberation.

There are casualties on both sides as a result of the fighting, the stringer said. The operation to demine the area around the citadel is also currently underway.

"The Syrian Army said that military action aimed at taking control of the castle and the whole city is underway on all directions," Isa said.

According to the stringer, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists are "feeling fear because of the success and suddenness of the Syrian Army's operation" in Palmyra.

The jihadists also use car bombs and suicide bombers to stage attacks in the areas which have been taken under control by Syrian troops, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow expects a Syrian Army operation to retake the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State, with the support of the Russian Air Force, to be successfully concluded soon.

"We're counting on the operation to liberate Palmyra, which is now carried out by the Syrian Army with support from Russia's Air Force, to be successfully completed in the nearest future," Lavrov stated.

Earlier in the day an army unit, in cooperation with the popular defense groups, dislodged Islamic State from the Syriatel hill near Palmyra Castle, a military source told Syrian state news agency SANA on Friday.


Comment: Aiding the Syrian Army on the ground are the independent militia group Desert Falcons:
The Syrian Army alongside the Desert Falcons militia has started an assault of the ancient city of Palmyra. In just a few hours, Syrian forces pushed Daesh militants deep into the city.

On Thursday, Syrian government forces and the Desert Falcons militia started an assault on Palmyra, an ancient city in the province of Homs. Previously, they had managed to take control over the dominating heights.

Fierce clashes broke out between the Syrian Army and Daesh militants in the south-western part of the city where Palmyra's hotel complexes are located. RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Alaeddin witnessed militia forces storming the Semiramis hotel and making their way to the city once dubbed the "Bride of the Desert."

Early in the morning, a motorcade of technical, ambulances and personnel-carrying trucks drove toward Palmyra. This was the Desert Falcons militia led by Commander Mohammed Jaber. ...

Semiramis is the largest hotel complex in Palmyra. The attack was lightning-fast. Militia fighters rushed to the hotel while artillery fire rained down from the heights. The fighters dispersed and took the hotel buildings. Shortly after, the report came that Semiramis was liberated.

A few hours later it was clear the entire hotel complex was clear. According to officers, in the coming days Palmyra would be "returned to the Syrian people," and its historic legacy - to the world. It will soon be clear whether the ancient city lies in ruins or would it continue to impress tourists with its treasures when the war ends.
More background on the Desert Falcons available here.


The government troops combed the hill after destroying the last IS hideouts and dismantled the explosive devices the militants left behind, the source said.

Several IS fighters were killed as the hill was taken, while the rest fled towards the city of Palmyra, leaving their weapons behind, he added.

A video posted by MilitaryMediaSy news outlet shows the army shelling militant positions with Palmyra Castle seen in the background.