Syrian army suppressing terrorists' attempts to take high points near Palmyra - Russian Defense Ministry
MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Militants from terrorist organizations are trying to take positions near the city of Palmyra in Syria's Homs Province, but government forces manage to repel their attacks, the Russian center for reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria said in a report, published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website on Saturday.
"An escalation of the situation is being observed near Palmyra in Homs Province. Terrorist units' continuing repeated attempts to capture the high points are being repelled by Syrian government forces," the report says.
Militants for the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia) have engaged in hostilities against the government army in four Syrian provinces in the past 24 hours.
"In particular, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars have been fired at the Sheikh Maqsood, Khalidiya and Salah al-Din neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo. The settlements of Handarat and Haylan in Aleppo Province have come under fire more than once," according to the report.
The center also said that improvised artillery systems had been fired twice at the settlement of Al-Fuah in Idlib Province.
"In Latakia Province, the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic have suppressed attempts of armed units from Jabhat al-Nusra to launch an offensive near the settlements of Hashhasha, Haddad and Hard Mezdly," it said.