Last week, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) surprised the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) with a full-scale assault on the Jazal Mountains in the ancient city of Palmyra’s northwestern countryside; this attack resulted in the capture of Jazal and half of the Jazal Oil and Gas Fields located directly west of the town.

However, ISIS’ success did not last very long, as the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division – in coordination with the Liwaa Assoud Al-Jabal (Lions of the Mountain Brigade) and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawks Brigade) – launched a counter-offensive to recapture this strategic area in the Homs Governorate’s eastern countryside.

Much to the terrorist group’s surprise, the Syrian Armed Forces were not passively striking the ISIS militants; instead, they relentlessly pounded the terrorists with mortar shells and rockets before they would storm the town of Jazal with wave after wage of soldiers.

Their perseverance paid off: the Syrian Armed Forces took full control of the two hills that sit to the south of Jazal, along with the contested town on Saturday afternoon.

With no answer to the Syrian Armed Forces’ ferocious assault, the ISIS terrorists were forced to withdraw south towards the city of Palmyra after sustaining heavy casualties and the destruction of their main hideout.