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ISIS update 3/14/2016..Four Miles From Palmyra

Monday, March 14, 2016 10:42

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(Before It's News)

International Military Review – Syria–Iraq, Mar. 14, 2016

FM Muallem says Syria crisis approaching its end

Assad must go!

Syrian govt. rejects political transition without Assad

No ‘Plan B’ for Syria Talks: New round of peace talks in Geneva

UN envoy for Syria details agenda of Geneva talks

Iran strongly opposes Syria partition

Saudi Arabia: Severe penalties for anyone backing Hezbollah

FM: Russia has evidence of Turkish forces on Syrian soil

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/03/13/455511/Turkey-Syria-Lavrov-Russia-UN-YPG-Kurds-Moscow-Daesh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow has evidence that Turkish forces are on Syrian territory despite Ankara’s denial of troops’ entry to the war-torn Arab country.

Lavrov made the remarks in an interview with Ren-TV that was broadcasted on Sunday.

Last December, Moscow also said it has evidence Turkey is involved in the smuggling of oil from areas held by Daesh in Iraq and Syria. Ankara has strongly rejected the claim.

Russian Defense Ministry officials showed satellite images at a briefing in Moscow, revealing that tanker trucks loaded oil at installations controlled by Daesh in Syria and Iraq, before entering neighboring Turkey.

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz has rejected that Turkish forces have entered Syrian territory to help foreign-backed militants fighting against the Syrian government. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, however, said Saudi Arabia and his country could launch a ground operation in Syria.

Also on Sunday, Lavrov referred to Turkey’s shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria and called Ankara’s actions on the border with Syria “creeping expansion.”

The Russian foreign minister further noted that despite Ankara’s opposition, Moscow will call on the United Nations to invite Kurdish groups to a new round of talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups which is scheduled for Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Turkey’s tanks have shelled positions of Kurdish People’s Protection Units, also known as YPG, over the past few months, accusing them of having links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group that has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s.

The YPG, which is nearly in control of Syria’s entire northern border with Turkey, has been fighting against Daesh.

Lavrov also said in the Sunday interview that Moscow was ready to coordinate its operations in Syria with the US so that the northern city of Raqqah could be freed from Takfiri militants.

Daesh has seized parts of Iraq and Syria, where it has been engaged in bloody acts of terrorism against people of all communities.

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Four Miles From Palmyra: Russian Airstrikes Pound ISIS as Syrian Army Pushes Eastward

According to Reuters, the Syrian army, backed by Russian air support, is now approximately 4 miles from the gates of Palmyra. Here’s a map of the current situation:

Multiple reports confirm that the Syrian army is successfully engaging ISIS on the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes have been turning ISIS forces in Palmyra into hamburger meat:

Russian warplanes launched heavy airstrikes against Islamic State positions in the ancient city of Palmyra on Thursday.

The strikes killed dozens of ISIS fighters in a second day of air raids against the area. On Wednesday Russian warplanes carried out 150 raids in that area.

The capture of Palmyra would be a crushing blow to ISIS. As Reuters notes:

The capture of Palmyra and further eastward advances into Islamic State-held Deir al-Zor would mark the most significant Syrian government gain against IS since the start of the Russian intervention. With Russia’s help, Damscus has already taken back some ground from IS, notably east of Aleppo.

According to a report from Friday, the Syrian army “destroyed four Daesh firing positions, a large disguised ammunition depot and a command center northwest of the city of Palmyra.”

With ISIS being attacked on multiple fronts, the capture of Palmyra now seems inevitable.

ISIS Firing Position Obliterated By Missile In Syria