Islamic State group cuts road leading to ancient Syrian Palmyra city

The Islamic State (IS) group has cut off the only road leading to the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in central Syria, after a series of battles against the government forces in Homs, a monitor group reported on Wednesday.

The IS militias on Tuesday cut off the road connecting the central city of Homs with Palmyra, the only supply route to that millennia-old city, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian army and allied groups are fighting to re-open that strategic route and secure its surroundings from the IS attacks, the UK-based watchdog group added.

This comes as the IS and the Syrian army have been engaged in intense battles near Palmyra over the past two days, in what was said to be another attempt by the IS group to advance in that area in eastern Homs.

A day earlier, the Observatory said the IS managed to take control of an abandoned military outpost near the airfield.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Wednesday that Syrian airstrikes continued to pound the IS positions in areas at the eastern outskirts of Palmyra.

"The Syrian air force has carried out a series of air raids over the past few hours, targeting IS positions near the al-Shaer gas field, the al-Muhr oilfield and east of the city of Palmyra," SANA said.

The Syrian forces recaptured Palmyra last March after falling to the IS in May of 2015, a victory that has enhanced the image of the Syrian government and portrayed it as a guardian of the cultural heritage, in contrast to the IS, whose fighters have wrecked havoc in Palmyra, destroying several centuries-old monuments and artifacts. Endit