This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrian-forces-enter-is-held-palmyra-intense-clashes-with-is/2016/03/24/6580168e-f1bf-11e5-a2a3-d4e9697917d1_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Syrian forces enter IS-held Palmyra; intense clashes with IS Syrian army enters IS-held Palmyra, Mosul operation begins
(about 7 hours later)
DAMASCUS, Syria — Backed by Russian airstrikes, Syrian government forces on Thursday pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra that has been held by the Islamic State group since May, state TV reported, as an Iraqi military spokesman announced the start of a long-awaited military operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from IS militants. DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government forces pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra, where Islamic State militants appeared on the verge of collapse Thursday, while in Iraq, a military spokesman announced the start of a long-awaited operation to recapture the IS-held northern city of Mosul.
The advance on Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, came after the troops managed this week to capture several hills and high ground around the town, famed for its priceless archaeological site and Roman ruins. Syrian troops have been on the offensive for days in an attempt to capture the town. The extremist group has been losing ground in Syria and Iraq for months under a stepped-up campaign of U.S.-led and Russian airstrikes, as well as ground assaults by multiple forces in each country.
The fall of Palmyra to IS militants last year had raised concerns world over, and the destruction the extremists subsequently embarked upon sent shock waves through archaeological circles and beyond. It was also a big blow to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad whose forces pulled out with apparently little fighting. The retaking of Palmyra — a UNESCO world heritage site whose fall to the militants last May sent shock waves through archaeological circles and beyond — would be a significant victory for the Syrian government. But the operation to unseat the group in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, is likely to take much longer and be far more difficult.
On Thursday, Syrian state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday, the fighting was concentrated near the archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town. The advance on Palmyra came after government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, managed to capture several hills and high ground around the town this week.
Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke. The TV also aired footage showing soldiers walking and SUVs driving near a building that appears to have been a hotel. On Thursday, Syrian state TV broadcast footage of its reporter, embedded with the Syrian military, speaking live from the entrance of Palmyra and saying that as of midday, the fighting was concentrated near the famed archaeological site on the southwestern edge of the town. Cracks of gunfire and explosions echoed as the reporter spoke.
An unnamed Syrian soldier told the station he had one message for the Islamic State group: “You will be crushed under the feet of the Syrian Arab Army.” The fall of Palmyra to IS militants last year had raised concerns worldwide, and the destruction the extremists subsequently embarked upon sparked alarm and made international headlines. It was also a big blow to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces pulled out with apparently little resistance.
Recapturing the town would be a significant victory for Syria’s army and its Russian allies. Russia withdrew most of its forces and aircraft from Syria last week after a months-long bombing campaign that succeeded in turning the tide of the war again in President Bashar Assad’s favor. By nightfall, intense fighting was still taking place on the outskirts. Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town, and said the video seen on Syrian state TV was taken about three miles (five kilometers) from Palmyra.
However, Turkey-based activist Osama al-Khatib, who is originally from Palmyra, denied that Syrian troops had entered the town. He said they were still on the edge of Palmyra and that the video seen on Syrian state TV shows the area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Palmyra. Earlier in the day, Gov. Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army was clearing roads leading into the town of mines and explosives.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Talal Barazi told The Associated Press from the nearby city of Homs that the Syrian army has determined three directions to storm Palmyra and was clearing all roads leading into the town of mines and explosives. “We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra,” Barazi said, adding that “the army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites.”
“We might witness in the next 48 hours an overwhelming victory in Palmyra,” Barazi said over the phone, adding that “the army is advancing in a precise and organized way to protect what is possible of monuments and archaeological sites.”
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from IS extremists as they try to penetrate the town’s limits.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops and Shiite militiamen helping them on the ground were facing tough resistance from IS extremists as they try to penetrate the town’s limits.
The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said the IS lost over 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses. The Observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said IS lost more than 200 militants since the government campaign to retake Palmyra began 17 days ago. It did not have figures for government losses.
Before the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, which just entered its sixth year, Palmyra had attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year. It is affectionately known by Syrians as the “bride of the desert.” The IS group instructed residents to leave the town Wednesday, according to a Palmyra native who asked not to be named. The town was mostly empty Thursday, save for IS fighters who were reported to be mining homes ahead of the advancing army.
In Palmyra, the IS destroyed many of the town’s Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents from IS in public slayings at the town’s grand roman theater and other ruins. Many of those who left sought refuge in IS-controlled cities in the country’s north and east, including Deir el-Zour, which is also being contested between the extremist group and government forces, according to opposition media activists.
Along with blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, among the first destructions IS carried out in Palmyra was the demolishing of the town’s infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years. Affectionately known as the “bride of the desert,” Palmyra had attracted tens of thousands of tourists to Syria every year.
Also Thursday, an Iraqi military spokesman announced in Baghdad that the army, backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft, has launched an operation to recapture Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, from IS militants. But IS militants destroyed many of the town’s Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, and also killed dozens of captive Syrian soldiers and dissidents in public slayings at the town’s grand Roman theater and other ruins.
In the push, Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of the town of Makhmour, east of Mosul, early in the morning on Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool. Besides blowing up priceless archaeological treasures, IS demolished the town’s infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents had been imprisoned and tortured over the years.
But taking Mosul is no small goal and it was not immediately clear how long such a complex and taxing offensive would take. Only recently, Iraqi and U.S. officials refrained to give a specific time on when the Mosul operation could begin, saying it would take many months to prepare Iraq’s still struggling military for the long-anticipated task of retaking the key city.
Iraqi state-run TV interrupted its morning program with a series of news alerts announcing the operation and broadcasting patriotic songs and flag-waving video clips.
Rasool told The Associated Press that the U.S.-led international coalition was providing air support but would not divulge more details on the offensive, which he said was dubbed “Operation Conquest.”
Mosul fell to the Islamic State group during the militants’ June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and also neighboring Syria.
The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday — without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs.The advance on Palmyra comes against the backdrop of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva between representative of the Damascus government and the Western-backed opposition. The talks, which have been boosted by a Russia-U.S.-brokered cease-fire that has mostly held since late February, were to adjourn on Thursday — without having achieved any apparent breakthroughs.
The negotiations are scheduled to resume later in April. Meanwhile, in Iraq, government forces pushed Islamic State fighters out of several villages outside the town of Makhmour, southeast of the IS-held city of Mosul — a move that Iraqi and coalition officials cast as the start of an operation to retake the strategic city.
In Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Thursday for countries to boost efforts to fight IS in Syria, Iraq and beyond in the wake of this week’s deadly attacks in Brussels. He said the Brussels attack should put nations on notice that the terror threat emanating from the Middle East must be stopped. Yet it also follows the death of a U.S. Marine stationed at a small U.S outpost close to Makhmour military base.
Kerry is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Syria, Ukraine and the Brussels attacks. U.S.-led coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters he believed the Islamic State group was specifically targeting the U.S. outpost and that IS attacks on the base had increased in recent weeks as Iraqi troops built up there and a larger number of U.S. and coalition forces moved in.
Regarding plans for a Mosul offensive, Warren said in a telephone interview that an Iraqi military buildup was still underway in the area.
“We announced several months ago that we had begun shaping operations for the eventual liberation of Mosul,” Warren said. Thursday’s “smaller ground operation conducted by the Iraqis is part of those shaping operations.”
At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter gave no indication that the Iraqis were ready for a full-scale counteroffensive. He said Iraq had “begun the shaping and isolation phase of the operation to collapse ISIL’s control over Mosul.”
Iraqi forces retook several villages on the outskirts of Makhmour early Thursday and hoisted the Iraqi flag there, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool.
While the territorial gain does little for an eventual assault on Mosul, which U.S. and Iraqi officials recently said would take many months, it could push the front line between Iraqi and IS forces away from the Makhmour base.
The small U.S. artillery outpost near Makhmour has expanded the number and combat exposure of American troops in the country as Iraqi security forces prepare for a counteroffensive to retake Mosul, which fell to IS during the militants’ June 2014 onslaught that captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq and neighboring Syria.
______
Salaheddin reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Philip Issa and Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Mathew Lee in Moscow contributed to this report. Salaheddin reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Philip Issa and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Matthew Lee in Moscow and AP broadcast correspondent Sagar Meghani in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.