Palmyra Offensive

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