SyriaAfter capture of Palmyra, ISIS holds sway over half of Syria
Islamic State is now holding sway over half of Syria’s landmass – although that half of Syria contains only a small fraction of the country’s population – following the Islamists’ capture of Palmyra, a city of 50,000 also known as Tadmur, on Wednesday. Even more important than controlling a largely empty desert, the seizure of the Arak and al-Hail gas fields near Palmyra brings ISIS into control of much of Syria’s electricity supply. Analysts say that the rapid collapse of regime forces in Palmyra, where these forces were expected to make a stand, is another indication that the regime, in the face of advances by anti-regime forces, is cutting its losses in order to retrench in the country’s northwest.
Islamic State is now holding sway over half of Syria’s landmass – although that half of Syria contains only a small fraction of the country’s population – following the Islamists’ capture of Palmyra, a city of 50,000 also known as Tadmur. In addition to gaining control over Syria’s major oil and gas fields, the Islamists, if they so wish, can now begin to destroy the historic city’s ancient ruins.
“There are no forces to stop them [entering the ruins],” Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, said. “But the important thing also is they now control 50 percent of Syria.”
ISIS took over Palmyra last night (Wednesday) following a week-long siege. The forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad collapsed, and senior officers abandoned their troops and escaped the city, leaving their soldiers to face ISIS’s wrath on their own. ISIS is now getting closer to the regime stronghold of Homs and to the capital Damascus, where Assad’s hold is weakening.
ISIS has imposed a curfew on Palmyra, and massacred members of the Shaitat tribe who fought alongside the Assad forces. Two months ago members of the same tribe rebelled against ISIS in Deir Ezzor to the east, but lost and saw 800 tribe members killed by the Islamists.
ISIS has proven itself better at taking over cities and towns with much fanfare, but not as adept at controlling territory and providing for the people under its rue. Still, ISIS is now at least nominally in control of about 95,000 sq. km of Syrian territory – or just about more than a half of the country’s landmass.
The Guardian reports that even more important than controlling a largely empty desert, the seizure of the Arak and al-Hail gas fields near Palmyra brings ISIS into control of much of Syria’s electricity supply.
This is bad news for the Assad regime, as these two fields provide most of the power to the major towns and cities in areas to the west which are still under regime control. In Iraq, ISIS used the disruption of power and water supply as a weapon against its adversaries.
Military analysts say that the fall of Palmyra raises questions about the fighting capability and cohesion of Assad’s remaining troops and allied militias, and that the rapid collapse of these forces was surprising given their close proximity to supply lines and the strategic importance of Palmyra.
These analysts told the Guardian that forces loyal to the Assad regime are stretched thin following a series of defeats in battles against Saudi Arabia- and Turkey-supported rebels in Idlib in the north. The rapid collapse of regime forces in Palmyra, where these forces were expected to make a stand, is another indication that the regime, in the face of advances by anti-regime forces, is cutting its losses in order to retrench in the country’s northwest.
