Syrian Army Prevents Attempted Offensive Towards Palmyra – Russian Military

"On June 11… Syrian government troops with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces prevented militants attempting to break out of the area of the Al-Tanf settlement toward Palmyra," the statement read.

According to the center, five militants have been killed, a pickup truck and a motorbike destroyed while the remaining militants returned to the settlement.

The statement continues to say that a large group of terrorists, "moving on pickup trucks with heavy weapons and motorcycles, had been located by Syrian observation posts in the area of Mount Gurab."

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The Russian Center also noted that attempts by terrorists to break out of the Al-Tanf settlement, controlled by the US armed forces, are carried out on a regular basis.

The United States occupies a 34-mile zone around its military base in Al-Tanf, where it trains and equips armed Syrian opposition forces, however it has drawn much criticism from Damascus and Moscow, with the latter voicing concerns that Washington was "spewing Daesh* mobile groups who make inroads to launch subversive terrorist operations against Syrian troops and civilians."

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia