Palmyra Offensive

Overview

The Palmyra offensive of May 2015 was a military operation launched during the Syrian Civil War by the Islamic State (IS) on May 13–26, 2015, in an attempt to capture the government-held Tadmur District of the Homs Governorate, including the administrative centre of Tadmur, known in English as Palmyra. The ruins and ancient monuments of Palmyra, which lie on the south-western fringe of the modern city, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. The ruins were part of a desert oasis that was one of the most significant cultural centers of the ancient world, linking the civilizations of Persia, India, China with the Roman Empire through trade. The offensive was one of the largest offensives launched by ISIL, the largest one conducted by ISIL in Syria since the 2014 Eastern Syria offensive, with the result of the offensive increasing ISIL's control of Syria to at least 50%.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Palmyra offensive of May 2015 was among the largest operations Islamic State conducted during the Syrian Civil War, and the largest IS launched inside Syria since the 2014 Eastern Syria offensive. Its outcome extended IS territorial control to at least 50 percent of Syrian territory, a significant expansion of the group's footprint within the country. Beyond the military and administrative consequences—IS gaining the Tadmur District of Homs Governorate, including the city of Palmyra—the offensive carried pronounced cultural stakes. The ancient ruins of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, lay on the south-western edge of the modern city. That site had served as one of the ancient world's major trade and cultural crossroads, connecting the civilizations of Persia, India, and China with the Roman Empire. IS seizure of the area placed those monuments directly under its control, adding a heritage dimension to an already consequential territorial shift in the Syrian conflict.

Forces & casualties