One of the most ambitious military operations launched over the course of the Syria war is now rapidly approaching its climax, with news today that Syrian troops advancing from Resafa in the north and from Al-Sukhnah in the south have largely succeeded in surrounding ISIS fighters in a large stretch territory in central Syria east of Salamiyah, an important government held town in Hama province.
Latest reports from Syria – where the Russian military belatedly confirmed the liberation of the key strategic town of Al-Sukhnah on Sunday – confirm that the Syrian army’s operation to link up the northern wing of its forces located around Resafa with the southern wing now based in newly liberated Al-Sukhnah is making rapid progress, with units of the Syrian army advancing towards each oth
That the Syrian army’s capture of Al-Sukhnah is a devastating blow to ISIS is shown by the attempt ISIS made just a few hours later to recapture the town. The Al-Masdar news agency however reports that ISIS’s counter-attack was repulsed with heavy losses, leaving the Syrian army in secure control of the town.
A few hours after news of the sudden collapse of ISIS resistance in Al-Sukhnah comes confirmation from the Syrian military that the town is now fully liberated from ISIS and that all surviving ISIS fighters have fled from there.
No sooner had I finish my last article on the bitter fight between the Syrian army and ISIS for the key town of Al-Sukhnah, then news came of a collapse of ISIS defences in the town.
The report from the highly reliable and well-informed Al-Masdar news agency reads as follows
Latest reports from the fighting in Syria speak of an intense battle between the Syrian army and ISIS for control of the central Syrian town of Al-Sukhnah on the main highway between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor.
Ten days ago the Syrian army appeared confident that it would storm Al-Sukhnah with little difficulty. It is now clear however that the Syrian army seriously underestimated ISIS’s determination to hold onto the town.
According to the reliable and well-informed Al-Masdar news agency, the Syrian military is now just 700 metres from the “city gates” of the key ISIS held town of Al-Sukhnah on the road from Palmyra to Deir Ezzor.
Here is Al-Masdar’s latest report
The Al-Masdar news agency – possibly the single most reliable news outlet covering the Syrian war, with seemingly extensive contacts inside the Syrian army – has just reported that the Syrian army has broken through the last hill top defence lines before the ISIS held town of Al-Sukhnah.
Shortly after news of the huge concentration of 50,000 Syrian troops and allied militia in the Palmyra area has come news of the Syrian army storming the town of Arak on the main highway to Deir Ezzor from Palmyra, and preparing a major advance along the same highway towards the important town of Al-Sukhnah.
This map of Syria and Iraq gives a sense of the pace and direction of the Syrian army’s advances over recent days
