Lack of Syria-US Coordination Led to Daesh Capture of Palmyra

The speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament said that Coordination between Syria and Russia, on the one hand, and the Western coalition, on the other, would have prevented the recapture of the Syrian city of Palmyra by Daesh jihadist group.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Coordination between Syria and Russia, on the one hand, and the Western coalition, on the other, would have prevented the recapture of the Syrian city of Palmyra by Daesh jihadist group, Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament, said on Tuesday.

"If there had been such coordination, then this would not have happened," Matvienko said at a press conference.

She added that military pauses led to the strengthening of militant positions, as they allowed militants to organize an operation to divert the Syrian forces.

The Daesh, outlawed in Russia and many other countries, first seized Palmyra in spring 2015 and a year later was forced out by Syrian government troops with air support from Russian jets. On December 11, Palmyra was recaptured by the Daesh, who pushed the Syrian army out and forced units to regroup at the Tiyas T4 airbase dozens of miles westward from the ancient city.