Palmyra offensive (December 2016)

The Palmyra offensive in December 2016 was a military operation launched by the military of ISIL which led to the re-capture of the ancient city of Palmyra, and an unsuccessful ISIL attack on the Tiyas T-4 Airbase to the west of the city. ISIL previously controlled the city from May 2015 until March 2016.

Palmyra offensive (December 2016)
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Military intervention against ISIL
Russian military intervention in Syria

Map showing the territory captured by ISIL since 8 December 2016.
Date8–22 December 2016
(2 weeks)
Location
Result

Partial ISIL victory

  • ISIL captures Palmyra on 11 December, as well as nearby oil fields and mountains
  • ISIL attack on the Tiyas Military Airbase fails, sporadic clashes continue around the airbase
  • Army starts a counter-offensive
Belligerents
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Syria
 Russia
 Iran
Allied militias:
Liwa Fatemiyoun
Liwa Zainebiyoun
Kata'ib al-Imam Ali
Hezbollah


CJTF–OIR
Commanders and leaders
"al-Mukahal" Amr As'ad 
(Leading ISIL commander for Palmyra operations)
Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti
(ISIL senior commander, redeployed to Raqqa front after 11 December)
Abu Hafs al-Mashrifi
(ISIL Security Chief in Homs)
Umar As'ad 
(ISIL top commander)
Col. Ali Shaheen
(leading operations commander 10–11 December)
Maj. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan
(leading operations commander since 14 December)
Maj. Gen. Shawkat
(Desert Commandos commander)
Brig. Gen. Hussein Khader 
Malek Shafiq Omar 
(Qalamoun Shield commander)
Maj. Sanal Sanchirov 
(Air Assault battalion commander)
Brig. Gen. Hassan Akbari 
(IRGC Ground Forces commander)
Units involved
Military of ISIL

Syrian Armed Forces

Russian Armed Forces

Iranian Armed Forces

Liwa Fatemiyoun

  • Hazrat-e Abolfazl Brigade

Hezbollah

  • Radwan Forces
  • Syrian Hezbollah units
    • al-Ridha Forces
    • al-Ghalibun
    • Imam Mahdi Brigade
Strength
4,000–5,000 militants

3,000+ fighters (by the beginning of the offensive)

  • c. 1,800–2,500 Military Shield and Al-Badiyah fighters
  • c. 1,200 Liwa Fatemiyoun fighters
  • 150–250 Tiger Forces soldiers

Unknown number of reinforcements

  • 100+ Hezbollah fighters (since 14 December)
Casualties and losses
149 killed (per The Inside Source)
630 killed (pro-government claims)
100 killed, 200 wounded and 30 missing (per the Army)
182 killed (per SOHR)
352 killed, 22 captured (pro-ISIL claim)

The unexpected blitz offensive occurred concurrently with three major anti-ISIL offensives: the Turkish Western al-Bab offensive and Battle of al-Bab north of Aleppo, the Kurdish-Arab Raqqa campaign, and the Iraqi Battle of Mosul in Iraq, which saw all three gaining ground from the Islamic State.

In January 2017, the Syrian Army and allied forces launched another offensive to recapture Palmyra and its surrounding areas.

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