The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 18 ISIS extremists had been killed as they sought to advance near the Tiyas Military Airbase, also known as the T-4 Airbase, west of the ancient Semitic city of Palmyra.
The UK-based monitoring group's head, Rami Abdel Rahman, said 12 pro-government fighters had also been killed, including seven in a bomb attack.
ISIS has tried for weeks to cut off the Syrian army’s access route to the airbase, but to no avail in the face of strong resistance shown by government forces.
Additionally, Syrian soldiers killed more than 15 ISIS terrorists, and destroyed an armored vehicle and seven pickup trucks equipped with heavy machineguns south of Sharifa village, situated about 60 kilometers west of Palmyra.
A Syrian military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told Syria’s official news agency SANA that the army had established control over a number of strategic hills and checkpoints along al-Phosphate road in Homs province.
Syrian government forces inflicted heavy losses on Daesh ranks and military equipment during the operations.
Furthermore, Syrian army units, backed by the Air Force, targeted militant hideouts in al-Maqaber area of the eastern city of Dayr al-Zawr as well as the nearby al-Tharda Mountain.
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