The Islamic State (ISIS) is reported to have seized two gas fields northeast of Palmyra, Syria, yesterday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS fighters seized control of Al-Hail and Arak gas fields, 40 and 25 kilometres respectively from Palmyra near the town of Sokhna which fell under the group’s controlled on Wednesday last week.
Violent clashes erupted on Sunday between ISIS fighters and members of the Syrian regime’s forces in the vicinity of the two gas fields.
The observatory documented the killing of at least 56 members of the Syrian regime’s forces in these battles.
ISIS losses could not be verified.
The regime uses gas produced in the fields to run power plants in Homs and other areas under its control.
Al-Hail is the second largest gas field in Homs after Al-Sha’er gas field which is controlled by the regime forces, according to observatory director, Rami Abdel Rahman.
On Saturday, ISIS fighters were reported to have taken control of large areas in the northern part of Palmyra before the regime’s forces pushed them back.
The battle in Palmyra has strategic importance to ISIS as it paves the way towards the Syrian Desert which stretches to the Anbar province in Iraq.
The group is interested in the city to drive the world’s attention to the conflict as the city is of archaeological importance and has already prompted UNESCO to request the Security Council protect it from witnessing a similar fate to other sites in northern Iraq.