"You know I mean look... broadly speaking .... you know... it's not a great choice... an either/or... but... you know..."
That was the response from State Department spokesman Mark Toner when two reporters asked him whether the US was pleased that the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah ground forces and Russian airstrikes was set to retake the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State.
The Syrian army is closer to regaining full control of the ancient city of Palmyra as ISIS militants are being pushed from the UNESCO heritage site. Syria state TV have reported that government troops have regained control of the Syriatel hill close to Palmyra’s castle and are a step closer to retaking the whole city, which has been under Islamic State control since May last year. Syrian army near Palmyra castle Syrian forces battled IS fighters on Saturday inside Palmyra under the cover of Russian and Syrian artillery fire.
US Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner seemed indifferent to the imminent liberation of the ancient city of Palmyra by the Syrian army from the hands of Islamic State. The Syrian army with the help of Russian military support is on the verge of taking back what is left of the historical city. The US shows no enthusiasm that the “jewel in the desert” is about to be freed from ISIS. Russia Today reports: Backed by Russian warplanes, Syrian troops managed to enter the historic city on Thursday.
The Syrian army is 850 meters away from retaking the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria which has been systematically destroyed by the Islamic State/IS/ISIS. The city has become encircled by Syrian troops aided by Russian helicopters targeting armored ISIS vehicles. China Xinhua reports: The Syrian force also used motorcycles in their attack on the IS in Palmyra due to the geographical nature of that area.
Syrian government forces have made rapid progress in liberating eastern parts of the Homs province and have forced ISIS militants and their families to evacuate from the ancient city of Palmyra . Alalam reports: “The Takfiri terrorists have launched an evacuation operation in Palmyra and are rapidly transferring their families from the city to al-Sakhanah East of Homs or to Raqqa province,” the sources said.