In late April of this year, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) shocked the Syrian Armed Forces with a large-scale offensive at the relatively untouched “Palmyra Triangle” in east Homs, capturing the ancient city and its surrounding villages after a wave of powerful attacks in two weeks.

Unfortunately for the Syrian Armed Forces, ISIS was not done after they captured Palmyra; instead, they pushed deeper in the Palmyra Triangle, seizing the strategic towns of Quraytayn and Maheen in the months that followed the initial offensive.

On Saturday morning, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – in coordination with the 550th Regiment of the 18th Tank Division and the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Homs City – struck back against ISIS in the Palmyra Traingle, capturing several sites under the aforementioned terrorist group’s control, while destroying several military installations in the process.

The Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade and their allies made their first breakthrough at the imperative village of Al-Bayarat, killing a number of militants from ISIS before they reportedly captured both the eastern and western groves from the terrorist group.

With the capture of Al-Bayarat on Saturday, the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade and their allies shifted their attention to the villages of Al-Tamtheel and Al-Kassarat that are located just west of Palmyra.

According to a battlefield journalist on the ground with the 67th Brigade, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies made several advances inside the villages of Al-Tamtheel, Al-Dawa, and Al-Kassarat, while also advancing to the Ancient Palmyra Quarries that are located 4km north of the city.

Palmyra is strategically located along the Homs-Deir Ezzor Highway; this roadway was used by the Syrian Armed Forces to reinforce their entrenched soldiers combatting ISIS inside the Deir Ezzor Governorate of eastern Syria.