On 9 March 2016, heavy Russian airstrikes started hitting the Palmyra area, with 32 ISIL fighters reported killed by the next day.

[50] On 17 March, ISIL took advantage of a sandstorm and launched a counter-attack[46] against Point 939 and the Jabal Hayyan mountain, though the Army repelled the assault.

[2] Later that day, Syrian Marines from the Latakia Governorate and Hezbollah fighters were sent as reinforcements to Palmyra to strengthen the government forces for the assault on the city.

[citation needed] The body, however, was possibly one of the few ethnic-Russian PMCs from the "Wagner Group" killed or reported missing around the Palmyra suburbs.

[1] On 21 March, a large convoy of reinforcements from the NDF units of Fouj Al-Joulan and Liwaa Suqour Al-Quneitra arrived at the western countryside of Palmyra, raising the number of pro-government forces in the area to more than 6,000.

[67] In the afternoon, government forces managed to fully capture the Semiramis Hotel,[68] as well as Muhtar Mount, Al-Zera'a roundabout, Al-Tar Mountain, the Tombs Valley and the Mozeh Palace,[69][70] a luxury villa which ISIL used as a headquarters[citation needed] and previously belonged to the House of Thani (the Qatari Royal family).

[77] Fighting also raged at the archaeological sites where government force's progress was slow due to the lack of artillery support for the sake of protecting the ruins.

[80] The opposition activist group the SOHR confirmed the capture of Al-Amiriya,[81] but stated the other two neighborhoods were still being contested, with ISIL conducting counter-attacks with car-bombs against advancing government forces.

[83] Later, SOHR confirmed the capture of Mutaqa'ideen and Al-Jami'a and reported government troops secured 35% of the city, while ISIL fighters were retreating towards the Al-Sukhnah area, east of Palmyra.

[9][11] Sporadic fighting continued in the eastern outskirts of Palmyra between government forces and ISIL fighters who refused to retreat,[87] concentrated at the prison and the airbase.

[90] After the liberation of the city, a Russian military convoy, including armored personnel carriers, arrived to help in the process of clearing Palmyra of explosives left by retreating ISIL forces.

[citation needed] Overall, between 29 March and 30 April, Russian and Syrian explosive-disposal teams removed 4,000 explosive devices in the ruins and another 1,000 in the town.