Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. See the link for maps and photos
Text taken from Commissioner Yarrick post
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics
Large and very detailed material in two parts about the first liberation of Palmyra.
First Palmyra. Desert Bride
With a noose around the neck
In 2014, the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, where by that time there was already a long-term military conflict, changed dramatically. By mid-summer 2014, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) ousted the forces of moderate and radical opposition from Eastern Syria, occupying almost the entire province of Deir ez-Zor. On June 30, 2014, the leader of ISIS militants Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the creation of a “caliphate” - a terrorist quasi-state in the territories of Syria and Iraq with claims to global expansion.
First Palmyra. Desert Bride
With a noose around the neck
In 2014, the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, where by that time there was already a long-term military conflict, changed dramatically. By mid-summer 2014, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) ousted the forces of moderate and radical opposition from Eastern Syria, occupying almost the entire province of Deir ez-Zor. On June 30, 2014, the leader of ISIS militants Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced the creation of a “caliphate” - a terrorist quasi-state in the territories of Syria and Iraq with claims to global expansion.
Having no other opponents among competing groups in eastern Syria, ISIS militants (which by that time had changed its name to IS - “Islamic State”, thereby removing the regional link) soon moved on to attacks on Syrian government forces. In August and December 2014, IS gangs attacked the Deir ez-Zor airbase and surrounding areas of the city, blockading the last Syrian army enclave on the banks of the Euphrates. And in parallel with this, IS is making its first forays into Central Syria with the aim of capturing strongholds of the government army.
On July 16, 2014, a small mobile force of 100 experienced IS fighters attacked the Al-Sha'ir gas field northwest of Palmyra. The gas field was defended by about 400 SAA soldiers and National Defense Forces militias, supported by Syrian Air Force aircraft from the nearby Shayrat airbase. After 12 hours of continuous fighting, IS captured eight checkpoints around the field, encircling Syrian army units. Only 30 military personnel managed to escape from the “cauldron”: the 270 people remaining on Al-Shair, including 11 civilian workers, were executed by the militants. Up to 200 more people who found themselves in the “cauldron” remained in captivity or went missing.
Ten days later, the army reoccupied the gas field, but IS militants left al-Shair for the mountainous areas of Eastern Homs. At the end of October, IS attacked the gas field again, briefly capturing al-Sha'ir and the area of the Hayyan Petroleum Company gas processing complex. Despite the fact that the militants were unable to gain a foothold on these lines, in fact the government army did not control significant parts of the mountain ranges of Eastern Homs and Eastern Hama, and also could not adequately respond to militant attacks coming from the so-called “White Desert”.
As a result, by the spring of 2015, Islamic State militants occupied significant territories in Central Syria, tightening the “noose” around Palmyra and its gas fields. The northern wall of the Palmyra “pocket” became the Akerbat district in the east of Hama: thanks to the mountain range, the settlement of Akerbat and the adjacent territories turned into a complex fortified area in which up to several thousand militants were concentrated. South of Palmyra, terrorists operated north of the town of Al-Tanf, attacking the Khneifis phosphate deposits. Given the control of ISIS over the entire province of Deir ez-Zor, all this posed a great threat to Palmyra and its environs.
The Fall of Palmyra
On May 12, 2015, the government army transferred part of its forces to the province of Idlib, where fighting was taking place with the Islamic State militants. The leaders of ISIS considered this a convenient opportunity to launch an attack on the Palmyra area. The next day, May 13, the militants launched a large-scale offensive against the positions of the Syrian military in two directions at once. The Islamists' goal was to capture Palmyra itself, as well as a number of military facilities, in particular weapons depots located near the city.
The first blow of the Islamic State fell on the town of Es-Sukhne, east of Palmyra: as a result of a massive offensive, supported by suicide attacks on “jihad mobiles”, panic began among the civilian population in the city. The fighting took place right on the streets of Es-Sukhneh, including near the headquarters of the Baath Party and the city hospital.
After a day of urban fighting, by May 14, the militants completely controlled the city and the highway to Palmyra, knocking out government forces from Es-Sukhneh. On the same day, terrorists tried to break into the eastern regions of Palmyra, but were quickly driven out of there by government troops. Throughout the day, IS fighters broke through to the city prison building and the airport, unsuccessfully trying to seize heavy weapons along the way.
On May 15, the Syrian army sent reinforcements to Palmyra while IS forces were one kilometer away from the city. An attempt at a counter-offensive by Syrian troops only made it possible to hold back IS attacks for a short time and prevent the militants from breaking through to the archaeological antiquities zone of the Old City. Having moved away from the eastern outskirts by about two kilometers, the Islamists occupied the northern part of the village of Al-Amiriya, and at night they again tried to capture the ancient complex of Palmyra.
On May 16, IS militants broke into the archaeological zone and captured the ruins of the medieval castle of Fakhr ad-Din. During the offensive, militants captured the northern part of Palmyra after a massive attack. By May 17, government forces were able to oust the militants from the city, but IS gained a foothold in the Al-Amiriya area and east of Palmyra, where the Islamists captured the T-3 pumping station and the Al-Hil gas field.
On May 18–20, fighting continued for Al-Amiriya, which changed hands several times. In addition, IS militants tried to open a “second front” northwest of Palmyra, attacking the Syrian army in the area of the Jazal oil field. As a result of prolonged fighting in this direction, 48 soldiers and 30 militants were killed, and another 150 Syrian soldiers were injured.
The denouement came on May 20: having completely captured Al-Amiriya, IS managed to advance into Palmyra from the north and northeast and occupy a third of the city. The militant attacks in the remaining defense sectors were stopped, but the arrival of IS reinforcements in the amount of 800 militants completed the breakthrough into the city. By mid-day, the militants completely controlled Palmyra, except for the city prison building in the east and the military intelligence headquarters in the west. By evening, all Syrian armed forces had withdrawn from the city to its outskirts, and IS militants had gained a foothold in the Tadmor airport area.
On May 21, IS forces entered the archaeological complex of Palmyra. At the same time, militants captured the al-Tanf checkpoint, which was the last border crossing with Iraq controlled by the Syrian army. Between 23 and 24 May, militants advanced into the Tell al-Sawwana area and captured the old air-missile battalion base on the Palmyra-Homs road, resulting in the capture of 22 soldiers.
On May 25, IS militants attacked the Jazal oil field to ensure control of the strategic gas fields that supply electricity and gas to the western part of the country. After four hours of fighting, the assault was repulsed, but the battle for Jazal continued further. As a result of the IS breakthrough, by May 26, the front line shifted to the area of Fruclus, Al-Qaryatein and Tiyas.
Invasion of the Barbarians
The fall of Palmyra was accompanied by numerous crimes and atrocities committed by IS militants. Here is just an incomplete list of crimes of which Islamists were guilty.
Almost immediately after capturing the city, IS began mass purges and executions among residents who did not have time to evacuate from Palmyra. Islamists carried out door-to-door searches to find and kill any government supporters or fugitive soldiers. On May 22, 2015, various sources reported that militants executed between 150 and 280 supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's government and soldiers. Executions were carried out in the streets and city square by gunshot or beheading, and another 600 people were later detained and executed.
A little more than a month after the capture of the city, the militants began the methodical and merciless destruction of the antiquities of Palmyra, UNESCO cultural heritage sites. On June 27, the “Lion of Allat” statue was demolished, on August 23, the Temple of Baalshamin was blown up, and on August 30, 2015, Islamists blew up the Temple of Bel, destroying its main sanctuary. On September 4, three funeral towers in the Palmyra Valley of the Tombs were destroyed. But the most barbaric act of the Islamists was the destruction of the symbol of Palmyra - the Triumphal Arch of the era of Ancient Rome, which was blown up on October 5, 2015.
In addition, the archaeological complex of Palmyra has become another arena for the bloody PR of IS militants. In early July 2015, the terrorist organization released a video showing 25 teenagers recruited by IS executing adult captives on the stage of the Palmyra amphitheater.
Another blow from the Islamists fell on the Palmyra National Museum, where unique exhibits and archaeological finds were collected. In search of gold and other treasures, terrorists killed the museum's chief caretaker, Khaled al-Asaad, a prominent archaeologist who did not leave the ancient city to which he had devoted his entire life to studying. His remains will be discovered in mass graves around Tadmor only after the final liberation of the city.
Concern for the cultural heritage of Palmyra did not exhaust the entire range of problems that befell the Syrian government forces after the massive breakthrough of the militants. Firstly, the city is located at the crossroads of major highways and main communications, and primarily the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway, cut by militants. The issue of control over Palmyra was thus re-qualified as the issue of control over all of Central Syria.
Desert near Palmyra
Secondly, we must not forget about the economic infrastructure around the ancient city. The oil and gas fields of Palmyra are not so well developed, unlike, for example, the fields in Deir ez-Zor or Raqqa. However, the Jazal gas fields (at that time partially occupied by militants), as well as installations in al-Sha'ir and Tell al-Sawwan, account for about 60% of resource production in the entire Homs province and power the entire central part of the country. Thus, in addition to the obvious strategic advantage in the war against militants, the Syrian army had to secure the fields from IS raids.
On the brink of death
The first attempt to recapture Palmyra was made by the Syrian army in July-August 2015. On July 8, the Syrian Arab Army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), with the support of the Syrian Air Force, launched an attack on Palmyra and by the next day controlled positions 10 kilometers from the city. After fierce fighting, by July 13, the Syrian army's Tiger Forces special forces occupied the area of ancient marble quarries northwest of Palmyra.
According to information received at the time, Syrian troops were less than two kilometers from Mount Jebel Kasyoun, which covered the historical center of Palmyra. In parallel with the actions in the Palmyra area, on July 15, the SAA and the National Defense Forces, advancing along the southern end of the militant breakthrough, managed to occupy Al-Mashtal farms and the ruins of Qasr al-Kheir al-Gharbi castle, south of the T-4 military airbase. Also on July 15, fighting between IS and the Tiger Forces moved southeast of the ancient quarries.
Advance to Palmyra
Fighting around Palmyra continued on July 20 and 22. On July 24, the SAA resumed operations in the direction of the southern perimeter of the quarries and began advancing into the Jebel al-Tar and Jebel Khayal mountain ranges. On July 26, Syrian government forces occupied several hills in these mountainous areas, which overlooked the Palmyra valley. On July 27, troops of the Syrian army, with the support of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, occupied the Fakhr ad-Din castle after a three-hour firefight, causing panic among the IS militants. However, the leaders of the Islamic State did not want to surrender the strategically important node. Taking advantage of the stretched communications of the Syrian army, IS forces were able to turn the tide of the battle in their favor, putting all of Syria on the brink of destruction.
In parallel with repelling the attack of the Syrian army on Palmyra, the leaders of the Islamic State transferred fresh forces to the northern and southern directions - up to 2 thousand experienced fighters from Iraq. On August 4, IS mobile units simultaneously launched a counter-offensive from two sides of the Palmyra salient - in the area of Mount Jebel Hamr al-Jisel and ancient quarries from the north, and in the area of the strategic settlement of Al-Qaryatein from the south.
The main goal of the militants was to break through to the Homs-Palmyra highway, thereby closing the encirclement of Syrian troops near Palmyra. Faced with a high risk of falling into a “cauldron,” the army command had to quickly transfer forces to the breakthrough areas. On August 5, the SAA managed to repel the ISIS attack and regain most of the lost territory in the north. However, the southern group of troops was unable to repel the attack, and by the evening of August 5, the militants captured Al-Qaryatein. The next day, Islamic State troops took 230 civilians, including at least 60 Christians, out of the city to an unknown destination.
The fall of El Qaryatein caused the final collapse of the southern part of the Palmyra salient: by August 8, the militants made their way even further, capturing the Christian city of Mkhin and the settlement of Hawarin. After the massacre carried out by militants in the city, IS was able to break through to the M-5 Damascus-Aleppo highway, cutting off the only major supply route for government forces and splitting the territory controlled by Damascus in two. In addition, there was a high probability of militants moving towards the border with Lebanon and expanding the geography of the self-proclaimed “caliphate” of the Islamic State. To top all the troubles, the Syrian army began to rapidly lose control over the gas fields: on September 7, IS troops captured the Jazal field, the last one controlled by government troops.
Under these conditions, on September 30, 2015, Russia officially announces the start of a military operation in Syria at the request of the legitimate government of the country. From this moment on, the situation in the Palmyra area begins to change dramatically.
Retaliatory strike
Throughout October, the Russian Air Force carried out strikes on militant positions in various provinces of Syria, providing air support to the actions of the Syrian army. Starting from October 9, Russia increased the intensity of combat aircraft sorties in Syria. During the day, 64 combat sorties were carried out from the Khmeimim airbase on Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft against 55 IS targets.
The key task at the first stage of the offensive of the Syrian troops with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces was to eliminate the consequences of the ISIS breakthrough and push the militants back from the M-5 highway. After the SAA forces attacked IS positions from the village of Sadad, they managed to gain a foothold on several key heights in the Jebel al-Hazm area. Over the next few weeks, the strategic heights around Mkhin became the main target of Syrian troops.
On November 17, SAA forces occupied Jebel al-Hazm and gained fire control over Mkhin. The pace of advance of the Syrian army was supported by air and missile strikes carried out against IS militants by Russian forces. On November 16, 2015, President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting following the investigation into the terrorist attack on board the A-321 aircraft over the Sinai Peninsula, ordered increased air strikes against IS targets in Syria. The next day, as a result of “retaliation strikes,” 14 militant command posts were hit by 34 cruise missiles. Long-range aircraft of the Russian Federation and the Navy also joined the fight against the Islamists. On November 20, ships of the Caspian Flotilla launched 18 Caliber cruise missiles at terrorist targets in Syria. During the strikes, 15 oil storage and processing facilities and 525 tank trucks were destroyed, as a result of which the supply of up to 60 thousand tons of oil per day to the black market was stopped.
The significant erosion of the financial, economic base and human resources of IS militants has affected the group’s combat effectiveness. As a result, on November 22, 2015, government forces occupied the mountainous region of Jebel Mhin, liberated the settlement of Khawarin and entered the city of Mhin, which was completely defended by November 23. The IS fighters holding these lines retreated to Al-Qaryatein.
An attentive reader, when listing the above, may wonder why such a high density of fire was required in the early stages of the operation near Palmyra, especially around Makhin. The problem was that the main goal at this conditionally preparatory stage was to stabilize the situation in the Palmyra area with the subsequent transition of the partially demoralized Syrian army to a counteroffensive. However, faced with fatal problems in training and lack of skills among the Syrian soldiers, as well as problems with holding occupied positions near Mkhin and Khawarin, the command of the operation was forced to abandon this idea. Against this background, Russian pilots and missile battalions had to literally burn out any concentrations of IS forces that could interfere with the Syrian army. However, even despite the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Special Operations Forces and the Russian command, Syrian soldiers, at best, could form a “second echelon” that would occupy Palmyra after liberation. However, someone had to carry out the actual operation to storm the ancient city, and the Syrian soldiers did not have the strength to do this.
From Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner” (AST, Leningrad, 2024):
On May 18–20, fighting continued for Al-Amiriya, which changed hands several times. In addition, IS militants tried to open a “second front” northwest of Palmyra, attacking the Syrian army in the area of the Jazal oil field. As a result of prolonged fighting in this direction, 48 soldiers and 30 militants were killed, and another 150 Syrian soldiers were injured.
The denouement came on May 20: having completely captured Al-Amiriya, IS managed to advance into Palmyra from the north and northeast and occupy a third of the city. The militant attacks in the remaining defense sectors were stopped, but the arrival of IS reinforcements in the amount of 800 militants completed the breakthrough into the city. By mid-day, the militants completely controlled Palmyra, except for the city prison building in the east and the military intelligence headquarters in the west. By evening, all Syrian armed forces had withdrawn from the city to its outskirts, and IS militants had gained a foothold in the Tadmor airport area.
On May 21, IS forces entered the archaeological complex of Palmyra. At the same time, militants captured the al-Tanf checkpoint, which was the last border crossing with Iraq controlled by the Syrian army. Between 23 and 24 May, militants advanced into the Tell al-Sawwana area and captured the old air-missile battalion base on the Palmyra-Homs road, resulting in the capture of 22 soldiers.
On May 25, IS militants attacked the Jazal oil field to ensure control of the strategic gas fields that supply electricity and gas to the western part of the country. After four hours of fighting, the assault was repulsed, but the battle for Jazal continued further. As a result of the IS breakthrough, by May 26, the front line shifted to the area of Fruclus, Al-Qaryatein and Tiyas.
Invasion of the Barbarians
The fall of Palmyra was accompanied by numerous crimes and atrocities committed by IS militants. Here is just an incomplete list of crimes of which Islamists were guilty.
Almost immediately after capturing the city, IS began mass purges and executions among residents who did not have time to evacuate from Palmyra. Islamists carried out door-to-door searches to find and kill any government supporters or fugitive soldiers. On May 22, 2015, various sources reported that militants executed between 150 and 280 supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's government and soldiers. Executions were carried out in the streets and city square by gunshot or beheading, and another 600 people were later detained and executed.
A little more than a month after the capture of the city, the militants began the methodical and merciless destruction of the antiquities of Palmyra, UNESCO cultural heritage sites. On June 27, the “Lion of Allat” statue was demolished, on August 23, the Temple of Baalshamin was blown up, and on August 30, 2015, Islamists blew up the Temple of Bel, destroying its main sanctuary. On September 4, three funeral towers in the Palmyra Valley of the Tombs were destroyed. But the most barbaric act of the Islamists was the destruction of the symbol of Palmyra - the Triumphal Arch of the era of Ancient Rome, which was blown up on October 5, 2015.
In addition, the archaeological complex of Palmyra has become another arena for the bloody PR of IS militants. In early July 2015, the terrorist organization released a video showing 25 teenagers recruited by IS executing adult captives on the stage of the Palmyra amphitheater.
Another blow from the Islamists fell on the Palmyra National Museum, where unique exhibits and archaeological finds were collected. In search of gold and other treasures, terrorists killed the museum's chief caretaker, Khaled al-Asaad, a prominent archaeologist who did not leave the ancient city to which he had devoted his entire life to studying. His remains will be discovered in mass graves around Tadmor only after the final liberation of the city.
Concern for the cultural heritage of Palmyra did not exhaust the entire range of problems that befell the Syrian government forces after the massive breakthrough of the militants. Firstly, the city is located at the crossroads of major highways and main communications, and primarily the Damascus-Deir ez-Zor highway, cut by militants. The issue of control over Palmyra was thus re-qualified as the issue of control over all of Central Syria.
Desert near Palmyra
Secondly, we must not forget about the economic infrastructure around the ancient city. The oil and gas fields of Palmyra are not so well developed, unlike, for example, the fields in Deir ez-Zor or Raqqa. However, the Jazal gas fields (at that time partially occupied by militants), as well as installations in al-Sha'ir and Tell al-Sawwan, account for about 60% of resource production in the entire Homs province and power the entire central part of the country. Thus, in addition to the obvious strategic advantage in the war against militants, the Syrian army had to secure the fields from IS raids.
On the brink of death
The first attempt to recapture Palmyra was made by the Syrian army in July-August 2015. On July 8, the Syrian Arab Army and the National Defense Forces (NDF), with the support of the Syrian Air Force, launched an attack on Palmyra and by the next day controlled positions 10 kilometers from the city. After fierce fighting, by July 13, the Syrian army's Tiger Forces special forces occupied the area of ancient marble quarries northwest of Palmyra.
According to information received at the time, Syrian troops were less than two kilometers from Mount Jebel Kasyoun, which covered the historical center of Palmyra. In parallel with the actions in the Palmyra area, on July 15, the SAA and the National Defense Forces, advancing along the southern end of the militant breakthrough, managed to occupy Al-Mashtal farms and the ruins of Qasr al-Kheir al-Gharbi castle, south of the T-4 military airbase. Also on July 15, fighting between IS and the Tiger Forces moved southeast of the ancient quarries.
Advance to Palmyra
Fighting around Palmyra continued on July 20 and 22. On July 24, the SAA resumed operations in the direction of the southern perimeter of the quarries and began advancing into the Jebel al-Tar and Jebel Khayal mountain ranges. On July 26, Syrian government forces occupied several hills in these mountainous areas, which overlooked the Palmyra valley. On July 27, troops of the Syrian army, with the support of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, occupied the Fakhr ad-Din castle after a three-hour firefight, causing panic among the IS militants. However, the leaders of the Islamic State did not want to surrender the strategically important node. Taking advantage of the stretched communications of the Syrian army, IS forces were able to turn the tide of the battle in their favor, putting all of Syria on the brink of destruction.
In parallel with repelling the attack of the Syrian army on Palmyra, the leaders of the Islamic State transferred fresh forces to the northern and southern directions - up to 2 thousand experienced fighters from Iraq. On August 4, IS mobile units simultaneously launched a counter-offensive from two sides of the Palmyra salient - in the area of Mount Jebel Hamr al-Jisel and ancient quarries from the north, and in the area of the strategic settlement of Al-Qaryatein from the south.
The main goal of the militants was to break through to the Homs-Palmyra highway, thereby closing the encirclement of Syrian troops near Palmyra. Faced with a high risk of falling into a “cauldron,” the army command had to quickly transfer forces to the breakthrough areas. On August 5, the SAA managed to repel the ISIS attack and regain most of the lost territory in the north. However, the southern group of troops was unable to repel the attack, and by the evening of August 5, the militants captured Al-Qaryatein. The next day, Islamic State troops took 230 civilians, including at least 60 Christians, out of the city to an unknown destination.
The fall of El Qaryatein caused the final collapse of the southern part of the Palmyra salient: by August 8, the militants made their way even further, capturing the Christian city of Mkhin and the settlement of Hawarin. After the massacre carried out by militants in the city, IS was able to break through to the M-5 Damascus-Aleppo highway, cutting off the only major supply route for government forces and splitting the territory controlled by Damascus in two. In addition, there was a high probability of militants moving towards the border with Lebanon and expanding the geography of the self-proclaimed “caliphate” of the Islamic State. To top all the troubles, the Syrian army began to rapidly lose control over the gas fields: on September 7, IS troops captured the Jazal field, the last one controlled by government troops.
Under these conditions, on September 30, 2015, Russia officially announces the start of a military operation in Syria at the request of the legitimate government of the country. From this moment on, the situation in the Palmyra area begins to change dramatically.
Retaliatory strike
Throughout October, the Russian Air Force carried out strikes on militant positions in various provinces of Syria, providing air support to the actions of the Syrian army. Starting from October 9, Russia increased the intensity of combat aircraft sorties in Syria. During the day, 64 combat sorties were carried out from the Khmeimim airbase on Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft against 55 IS targets.
The key task at the first stage of the offensive of the Syrian troops with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces was to eliminate the consequences of the ISIS breakthrough and push the militants back from the M-5 highway. After the SAA forces attacked IS positions from the village of Sadad, they managed to gain a foothold on several key heights in the Jebel al-Hazm area. Over the next few weeks, the strategic heights around Mkhin became the main target of Syrian troops.
On November 17, SAA forces occupied Jebel al-Hazm and gained fire control over Mkhin. The pace of advance of the Syrian army was supported by air and missile strikes carried out against IS militants by Russian forces. On November 16, 2015, President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting following the investigation into the terrorist attack on board the A-321 aircraft over the Sinai Peninsula, ordered increased air strikes against IS targets in Syria. The next day, as a result of “retaliation strikes,” 14 militant command posts were hit by 34 cruise missiles. Long-range aircraft of the Russian Federation and the Navy also joined the fight against the Islamists. On November 20, ships of the Caspian Flotilla launched 18 Caliber cruise missiles at terrorist targets in Syria. During the strikes, 15 oil storage and processing facilities and 525 tank trucks were destroyed, as a result of which the supply of up to 60 thousand tons of oil per day to the black market was stopped.
The significant erosion of the financial, economic base and human resources of IS militants has affected the group’s combat effectiveness. As a result, on November 22, 2015, government forces occupied the mountainous region of Jebel Mhin, liberated the settlement of Khawarin and entered the city of Mhin, which was completely defended by November 23. The IS fighters holding these lines retreated to Al-Qaryatein.
An attentive reader, when listing the above, may wonder why such a high density of fire was required in the early stages of the operation near Palmyra, especially around Makhin. The problem was that the main goal at this conditionally preparatory stage was to stabilize the situation in the Palmyra area with the subsequent transition of the partially demoralized Syrian army to a counteroffensive. However, faced with fatal problems in training and lack of skills among the Syrian soldiers, as well as problems with holding occupied positions near Mkhin and Khawarin, the command of the operation was forced to abandon this idea. Against this background, Russian pilots and missile battalions had to literally burn out any concentrations of IS forces that could interfere with the Syrian army. However, even despite the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Special Operations Forces and the Russian command, Syrian soldiers, at best, could form a “second echelon” that would occupy Palmyra after liberation. However, someone had to carry out the actual operation to storm the ancient city, and the Syrian soldiers did not have the strength to do this.
From Kirill Romanovsky’s book “Eight Years with Wagner” (AST, Leningrad, 2024):
In addition to difficulties with the level of training of the Syrian troops, the position of the army at the front was complicated by several serious problems directly related to the attack on Palmyra:
1. Complexity of the terrain
Due to the fact that Palmyra is an ancient crossroads of trade routes, the city has natural protection. On the western side it is protected from attack by a high mountain ridge and individual peaks, the key height among which is Jebel Kasjun with an old Arab citadel. Most of the peaks were captured by IS in a timely manner. At these positions, the terrorists organized powerful fortifications to conduct crossfire on the approaches to the city.
2. Open sections of the front
An additional difficulty was presented at the first stage of the offensive by several open sections of the front against the Islamic State, where the militants launched a counter-offensive. 16 kilometers from the city, terrorists attacked units of the Syrian army in the area of the Jazal oil field, pushing them to the Jebel al-Abyad highlands, which was also partially controlled by other IS units. In such conditions, it turned out to be difficult to carry out an attack on Palmyra, with the constant threat of encirclement.
3. Historical heritage
Since Palmyra is a UNESCO cultural heritage site, the attacking units had to carefully work out this section of the front so that objects in the historical part of the city would not be damaged. But the problem could not be solved by an offensive operation alone: judging by incoming intelligence data, the militants had mined most of the archaeological complex of Palmyra, which added difficulties to the advance.
To solve all three problems, it was necessary to recapture the areas around Palmyra literally “centimeter by centimeter” in order to prepare a springboard for a future offensive. And here the command of the operation has an unexpected ace up its sleeve - a group of Russian volunteers and veterans of hot spots, assembled under the auspices of Yevgeny Prigozhin and named BTG “Wagner”.
(c) Commissioner Yarrick
https://boosty.to/astramilitarum/posts/324d1968-c52f-41de-9f35-84a303b50fa9 - zinc
No comments:
Post a Comment