(Zaman Al Wasl)- ISIS says it has shot down a Syrian regime warplane near the historic city of Palmyra as the radical group launched major offensive to take oil-rich areas in eastern Homs province.
The group's Aamaq news agency said Saturday that the militants downed the jet near the Jazal oil fields west of the city, which is home to famed 2,000-year-old ruins.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a government jet crashed in the Jazal area. It reported ISIS militants were attacking regime positions 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Palmyra, which the regime recaptured from the extremists to great fanfare in March. The activist-run Palmyra Coordination Committee said the jet was a MiG-23.
Islamic State on Friday made new gains in a gas-rich territory, inflicting heavy losses amid regime ranks and allied National Defense militia, activists said.
The hardline group launched major offensive on regime forces near al-Shaer and al-Muhr districts where the Syria's main strategic resource of gas is located.
Pro-regime social media revealed state of panic amid in Homs as reports say ISIS has been inflicting humiliating defeats near al-Shaer gas field.
The Observatory said Friday that the ISIS assault near Palmyra has killed at least 49 pro-regime forces. The regime has not commented on the reports.
Meanwhile, the United States said it will send 200 additional military personnel including special forces to the campaign against Islamic State in Syria to create a "tornado" of pressure against the group's Raqqa hub, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday,
Carter, speaking in Bahrain to regional security chiefs, twinned the announcement with a call on Middle East allies to do more for their own defense, a sore topic with some Gulf states who resent being seen by Washington as military "free riders".
The arrival of the 200 additional forces in Syria, joining 300 special forces already there backing local allies, would bring to bear the "full weight of U.S. forces around the theater of operations like the funnel of a giant tornado", Carter said. (With Agencies)
The group's Aamaq news agency said Saturday that the militants downed the jet near the Jazal oil fields west of the city, which is home to famed 2,000-year-old ruins.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a government jet crashed in the Jazal area. It reported ISIS militants were attacking regime positions 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Palmyra, which the regime recaptured from the extremists to great fanfare in March. The activist-run Palmyra Coordination Committee said the jet was a MiG-23.
Islamic State on Friday made new gains in a gas-rich territory, inflicting heavy losses amid regime ranks and allied National Defense militia, activists said.
The hardline group launched major offensive on regime forces near al-Shaer and al-Muhr districts where the Syria's main strategic resource of gas is located.
Pro-regime social media revealed state of panic amid in Homs as reports say ISIS has been inflicting humiliating defeats near al-Shaer gas field.
The Observatory said Friday that the ISIS assault near Palmyra has killed at least 49 pro-regime forces. The regime has not commented on the reports.
Meanwhile, the United States said it will send 200 additional military personnel including special forces to the campaign against Islamic State in Syria to create a "tornado" of pressure against the group's Raqqa hub, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday,
Carter, speaking in Bahrain to regional security chiefs, twinned the announcement with a call on Middle East allies to do more for their own defense, a sore topic with some Gulf states who resent being seen by Washington as military "free riders".
The arrival of the 200 additional forces in Syria, joining 300 special forces already there backing local allies, would bring to bear the "full weight of U.S. forces around the theater of operations like the funnel of a giant tornado", Carter said. (With Agencies)
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.