Partial ISIL victory Syria Russia  Iran[1]Allied militias: Liwa Fatemiyoun[1] Liwa Zainebiyoun[1][2]Kata'ib al-Imam Ali[1] Hezbollah[3] Syrian Armed Forces Russian Armed Forces Iranian Armed Forces Liwa Fatemiyoun Hezbollah 3,000+ fighters[19] (by the beginning of the offensive) Unknown number of reinforcements Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels U.S.-led intervention against ISIL The Palmyra offensive in December 2016 was a military operation launched by the military of ISIL which led to the re-capture of the ancient city of Palmyra, and an unsuccessful ISIL attack on the Tiyas T-4 Airbase to the west of the city.

In January 2017, the Syrian Army and allied forces launched another offensive to recapture Palmyra and its surrounding areas.

ISIL captured the ancient city of Palmyra in May 2015 after the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) withdrew from the town.

[43] The group however still held territory in the eastern Homs Governorate and had started carrying out insurgent attacks on the Syrian Army after losing the city.

[44] The city is historically and internationally important and the offensive comes at the same time that ISIL is being targeted militarily at its headquarters of Mosul and Raqqa.

[47][48] ISIL launched the offensive in the northeastern countryside of Homs on 8 December 2016, targeting the SAA's defenses near the village of Huwaysis and the Jazal Mountains located north of Palmyra.

The group began the attack by sending two waves of fighters to storm its defenses near Huwaysis, resulting in heavy clashes.

[35] The group launched another assault later in the day, with simultaneous attacks near the Jazal, Mahr and Shaer oil and gas fields as well as the areas of Huwaysis, Arak, Palmyra Silos, al-Hayyal Mount, al-Sekkary, the ancient al-Hallabat Palace and an abandoned base near the T4 airbase.

[55] Meanwhile, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve launched a massive air-raid on an Islamic State fleet of 168 oil tanker trucks, destroying them.

[56] The SAA counter-attacked on 9 December, to recapture the positions it lost the previous day, in addition to bringing in reinforcements and launching airstrikes.

[62] The group later captured the Tar Mountain to the west of the city, in addition to the northern suburb of Amiriyeh, and entered Palmyra.

[66] However, later in the day, ISIL launched a new assault on Palmyra after regrouping,[67] entering the city once again and capturing Amiriyeh, its hilltop and the Officers Housing complex.

[64][69] Early on 12 December, ISIL launched an attack against the strategically important Jihar Crossroad near the airbase, and captured it after heavy clashes.

[70] It later captured security checkpoints in the nearby districts of Mashtal and Qasr al-Hir,[47] allowing it to launch an attack against the airbase spearheaded by two car bombs, resulting in an hours-long battle with the entrenched SAA defenders.

[30] Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-government reinforcements arrived at the frontline, which belonged to the National Defence Forces-affiliated Qalamoun Shield[29] and Golan Regiment.

[77][78] The Army recaptured the Tiyas Mountain as well as the abandoned base located in the north of the airbase after launching a counteroffensive during the early morning.

[80] Later that day, ISIL launched another attack on the airbase, but thanks to newly arrived government reinforcements, belonging to the paratrooper forces of the Republican Guard's 800th Regiment, the assault was repelled.

[28][81] The US-led coalition stated on 16 December that it had carried out airstrikes near the airbase against ISIL on the previous day, destroying the heavy weaponry it seized after recapturing Palmyra.