Russian-Syrian Airstrikes Target ISIL's Long Columns of Oil Tankers

The Russian and Syrian fighter jets, in two joint operations, tracked two long convoys of ISIL's oil tankers in the Central Homs province and bombed them heavily.

"The first convoy of the ISIL with at least eight oil tankers and some other military vehicles was targeted by the Russian and Syrian air attacks near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur)," army sources said Tuesday, adding, "Almost the entire oil tankers were destroyed and tens of the militants accompanying the convoy were killed in the attack."

 

"The joint squadron of the Russian and Syrian bombers also targeted 14 oil tankers of the ISIL near Sukhnah in the Eastern part of Homs province, which ended in complete destruction of the convoy and the killing or wounding of its guards," the sources said.

 

Homs, which is a Central province and home to Palmyra, plays a pivotal role for the government forces to drive their military machine on a correct way and distribute forces across the country as best as possible, that's why the Syrian forces are operating against the terrorist groups in different parts of the province to route out militancy in the Central part of the country.    

 

A report said on Monday that the Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out tens of combat sorties over ISIL's defense lines across the Central Homs province, specially those near Maheen town.

 

"The Russian and Syrian air forces have mostly carried out their anti-terrorism combat sorties separately, but in some cases they have conducted joint operations against the militant groups' positions in Homs province," the army informed.

 

"The Russian bombers hit heavily the ISIL centers near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), Quaryatayn and Maheen over 20 times, inflicting very large damage on the militants' sites," the army said.

 

"The Syrian fighter jets, for their part, raided the ISIL headquarters and defense lines near the newly liberated village of al-Hadath and the big village of Hawareen," the army added.

 

"The ISIL sustained a heavy death toll and their military and machinegun-equipped vehicles and ammunition depots were destroyed in the Syrian air attacks," the army said.

 

"The Syrian and Russian bombers carried out a joint combat operation over the ISIL sites near Maheen and targeted them heavily," the army added.

 

"The ISIL positions in the surroundings of al-Sharifa near Palmyra, and villages of Ghunaiman, Tafha and Ghziyla in the Eastern side of the ancient city, were massively bombed by the Syrian warplanes," the army added.

 

"Scores of the militants were killed or wounded in the air attacks near Palmyra," the army added.

 

"In the meantime, the positions of al-Nusra Front were destroyed in airstrikes in Tair Ma’ala village North of Homs province," the army said.