Syrian Army Prevents Attempted Offensive Towards Palmyra – Russian Military

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - Syrian government troops backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces have prevented militants from breaking out of the Al-Tanf area in Homs toward Palmyra, the Russian reconciliation center said.

"On June 11… Syrian government troops with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces prevented militants attempting to break out of the area of the Al-Tanf settlement toward Palmyra," the statement read.

According to the center, five militants have been killed, a pickup truck and a motorbike destroyed while the remaining militants returned to the settlement.

The statement continues to say that a large group of terrorists, "moving on pickup trucks with heavy weapons and motorcycles, had been located by Syrian observation posts in the area of Mount Gurab."

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The Russian Center also noted that attempts by terrorists to break out of the Al-Tanf settlement, controlled by the US armed forces, are carried out on a regular basis.

The United States occupies a 34-mile zone around its military base in Al-Tanf, where it trains and equips armed Syrian opposition forces, however it has drawn much criticism from Damascus and Moscow, with the latter voicing concerns that Washington was "spewing Daesh* mobile groups who make inroads to launch subversive terrorist operations against Syrian troops and civilians."

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia