- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

After Aleppo Syrian Army Likely to Launch Offensive on Palmyra, Idlib

© REUTERS / Omar SanadikiSyrian army soldiers drive past the Arch of Triumph in the historic city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria. (File)
Syrian army soldiers drive past the Arch of Triumph in the historic city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria. (File) - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The Syrian Army who recently liberated Aleppo from terrorists will focus in 2017 on boosting its positions around the city and then will engage to retake control over Palmyra and, possibly, continue an offensive on Idlib, according to Igor Korotchenko, chief editor of the Russian magazine National Defense.

Children celebrating liberation in Hanano, East Aleppo - Sputnik International
Russia's Air Support 'Determining Factor' in Aleppo Victory
On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said that the Syrian army operation to liberate Aleppo's eastern neighborhoods was over, and that Syrian government troops were eliminating separate hotbeds of militant resistance.

On Thursday, the Syrian army declared victory in Aleppo as the last convoy with militants left the city's east.

The liberation of Aleppo from the radical element is the most important component of a full normalization in Syria, and I hope in the region as a whole," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

"I think that in 2017, the Syrian Army will focus its efforts on preventing possible counteroffensives by militants. The military will also protect infrastructure facilities and residential areas which are already controlled by the government. Another important goal is retaking Palmyra," Korotchenko told RIA Novosti.

Supporters of the Islamic State militant group on an anonymous photo sharing website, purports to show a gun-mounted vehicle operated by the group firing at Syrian troops north of Palmyra city, in Homs, Syria - Sputnik International
What We Know So Far About Daesh Attack on Palmyra
Daesh terrorists first seized the ancient city of 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 an airbase dozens of miles westward from the city.

The expert underscored that the importance of retaking Palmyra is due to its strategic locations and unique cultural artefacts.

"Another task is to improve combat capabilities of the Syrian Army and boost morale of Syrian troops. Then, the army may launch an operation to liberate Idlib," he suggested.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала