The Capture of Palmyra: Victory in Battle, but Not a Turning Point

... position of IS. The fact that the jihadists fled, having saved a larger part of their army, testifies to their readiness to retreat from Palmyra. It is precisely these airstrikes that made it evident the Syrian government would soon dare to push towards Palmyra. This historic area is somewhat isolated, being located far away from the major Islamic State-controlled territories along the Euphrates. With many sources of IS funding being cut off, it is more important for the militant group to spare strength for major territories than keep a large contingent in peripheral areas. syria.mil.ru ...