News from Syria - 03/13/2016

Breaking: Syrian Army storms the Palmyra Castle

al-Masdar News,

13 March, 2015

Minutes ago in the eastern countryside of the Homs Governorate, the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” – in close coordination with the 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division, Liwaa Imam Al-‘Ali, and the Desert Hawks Brigade – launched a powerful assault on the Palmyra Castle (Qal’at Tadmur) that is currently under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

According to a military source at the T-4 Military Airport in east Homs, the Syrian Armed Forces are storming the western perimeter of this ancient fortress after launching thermobaric TOW missiles to weaken ISIS’ front-line defenses.

The thermobaric TOW missiles used by the Syrian Armed Forces are specifically used at the Palmyra front because they cause little-to-no damage to the buildings and ancient sites that are filled with ISIS terrorists.

If the Syrian Armed Forces are able to seize the Palmyra Castle, they will be in full control Jabal Qassoun; this mountaintop overlooks the western district of Palmyra and gives the government forces a geographic advantage near the Palmyra National Hospital.

Russia says has evidence of 

Turkey forces on Syria soil

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (AFP photo)

Press TV,

13 March, 2016

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.

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Tanks stationed at a Turkish army position near the Oncupinar crossing gate close to the town of Kilis, south central Turkey, fire towards the Syria border, on February 16, 2016. (AFP photo)

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.