The Islamic State is being pummeled with a force that can push it out of existence. In the latest of the setbacks for the terrorist group, Syrian forces, with heavy support from Russian aircraft, advanced into the Syrian city of Palmyra and took control of several districts from the Islamic State fighters which were holding the area. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, it was the biggest assault in a three-week campaign by the Syrian army and
its allied fighters to recapture the desert city. The Syrian forces have taken control of one-third of the city, mainly in the west and north, and can move further to eliminate the Islamic State fighters. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Desert’, the city was overrun by IS in May, 2015 and since then the jihadists have destroyed UNESCO-listed temples and looted priceless relics.
The recapture of Palmyra would mark the biggest reversal for Islamic State in Syria and follows the setbacks the group suffered in Iraq. On Thursday, Iraqi forces had ousted jihadists from villages south of Mosul, which is IS’s main hub in Iraq. The army said the attack was the first phase of an operation to recapture Nineveh province and its capital Mosul. On December 8, the Iraqi troops had retaken a key district of Ramadi, prior to which there was string of small and big successes against this terrorist group. The Palmyra operation comes in the wake of terrorist attacks in Brussels which was claimed by the IS jihadists.
The elimination of IS has become key to fighting terrorism all over the world as these jihadists have been able to expand their nefarious networks and launch strikes in the heart of Europe. Several measures are being taken to thwart future attacks, like the stepping up of security, greater intelligence sharing between countries and crackdown on homegrown terrorists, but the most important step is to attack terrorists at their base. The operations in Syria and Iraq assume great importance in this regard.
The entry of IS and other jihadist groups has complicated the conflict in Syria and diminished the prospects of the legitimate opposition which is fighting to oust Bashar Al Assad. Their presence gave an excuse to Russia to enter the battle to support its ally Assad. While Arab countries and the western world would welcome the fight against terrorists, they are equally worried about their role in propping up Assad. For example, IS and al Qaeda’s Syrian branch the Nusra Front are excluded from a month-long cessation of hostilities that has brought a lull in fighting between the government and rebels battling Assad in western Syria. But this clause is helping Assad because he is bombing rebels under the guise of bombing terrorists.
The Islamic State is being pummeled with a force that can push it out of existence. In the latest of the setbacks for the terrorist group, Syrian forces, with heavy support from Russian aircraft, advanced into the Syrian city of Palmyra and took control of several districts from the Islamic State fighters which were holding the area. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, it was the biggest assault in a three-week campaign by the Syrian army and
its allied fighters to recapture the desert city. The Syrian forces have taken control of one-third of the city, mainly in the west and north, and can move further to eliminate the Islamic State fighters. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Desert’, the city was overrun by IS in May, 2015 and since then the jihadists have destroyed UNESCO-listed temples and looted priceless relics.
The recapture of Palmyra would mark the biggest reversal for Islamic State in Syria and follows the setbacks the group suffered in Iraq. On Thursday, Iraqi forces had ousted jihadists from villages south of Mosul, which is IS’s main hub in Iraq. The army said the attack was the first phase of an operation to recapture Nineveh province and its capital Mosul. On December 8, the Iraqi troops had retaken a key district of Ramadi, prior to which there was string of small and big successes against this terrorist group. The Palmyra operation comes in the wake of terrorist attacks in Brussels which was claimed by the IS jihadists.
The elimination of IS has become key to fighting terrorism all over the world as these jihadists have been able to expand their nefarious networks and launch strikes in the heart of Europe. Several measures are being taken to thwart future attacks, like the stepping up of security, greater intelligence sharing between countries and crackdown on homegrown terrorists, but the most important step is to attack terrorists at their base. The operations in Syria and Iraq assume great importance in this regard.
The entry of IS and other jihadist groups has complicated the conflict in Syria and diminished the prospects of the legitimate opposition which is fighting to oust Bashar Al Assad. Their presence gave an excuse to Russia to enter the battle to support its ally Assad. While Arab countries and the western world would welcome the fight against terrorists, they are equally worried about their role in propping up Assad. For example, IS and al Qaeda’s Syrian branch the Nusra Front are excluded from a month-long cessation of hostilities that has brought a lull in fighting between the government and rebels battling Assad in western Syria. But this clause is helping Assad because he is bombing rebels under the guise of bombing terrorists.
