The Palmyra offensive in 2017 was launched by the Syrian Arab Army against the armed forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Eastern Homs Governorate in January 2017, with the goal of recapturing Palmyra and its surrounding countryside. ISIL forces had retaken the city of Palmyra in a sudden offensive from 8 to 11 December, after previously being expelled from it by Syrian government and Russian forces in March 2016. On 2 March 2017, the Syrian Army alongside Russian reinforcement, succeeded again in recapturing the beleaguered city of Palmyra.
Background
In mid-December, ISIL launched an assault on Palmyra, eventually taking full control of the city as the Syrian Army withdrew. ISIL started advancing westwards from Palmyra to the Tiyas Military Airbase (also called al-Taifor and T4 airbase) after the city's capture, and nearly besieged it.
Clashes continued around the airbase until the end of December, when ISIL's assault was repelled. In early January 2017, it was reported that ISIL was withdrawing from the areas around the airbase.
Offensive
Sometime between 12 and 13 January, the Syrian Army launched a counter-offensive. At the start of the operation, Abu Hafs al-Mashrifi, ISIL's chief of security in Homs province, was killed in an artillery strike on his headquarters in the Huwaysis area. On 14 January, the Army captured several points around al-Tayyas village, as well as areas near the abandoned base, advancing to the Jazal Mountains. The military soon after launched an attack on the mountains. It advanced further on 15 January, capturing the hills around the airbase. ISIL managed to repel an attempt by the Army to advance around the airbase on 16 January. Reinforcements and supplies for the Syrian Army arrived, for continuing the offensive. On 19 January, the SAA stormed the southern countryside of the T-4 airbase and captured a large amount of territory near al-Qaryatayn, while also clearing several sites to the east of the pumping station and Tayfor village. On 21 January, the Army recaptured the Jeb al-Murr area, in addition to advancing around the hills of al-Tiyas.
On 25 January, the Syrian Army captured the al-Fawa'ra area, including a military base. On 2 February, the Army captured al-Hattaniyyah and al-Marhatan areas as well as the Jihar crossroads. On 4 February, the Army recaptured the Hayyan gas fields. On 5 February, the Army captured the Majbel Asphalt area, Al-Baydah al Sharqiyah and al-Baydah al-Gharbiyah. On 7 February, ISIL recaptured the Hayyan gas fields. On 10 February, the Army recaptured the Hayyan Hills. On 11 February, ISIL recaptured the Majbel Asphalt area along with several surrounding points near the Hajjar crossroads. including the Hayyan Hills. On 13 February, the Army resumed its offensive, attacking ISIL and attempted to recapture all of the Hayyan Hills. On the next day, the Army broke through ISIL's defenses and recaptured the Hayyan gas fields.
On 16 February, the Syrian Army entered the Jihar Gas Fields and clashed with ISIL fighters. ISIL recaptured several wells in the Hayyan gas fields. On the same day, Russian forces suffered their first casualties, when a vehicular column from the Tiyas airbase to Homs was blown up by a remote-controlled IED, killing four Russian soldiers and wounding two others, including Major General Pyotr Milyukhin who lost both legs and an eye. By this point, the Army was within of Palmyra. On 17 February, the Army captured the Eastern Bayarat area. They also captured Al-Kalaabiyah Farms during the day, reasserting complete control over Western Bayarat. An ISIL counterattack on Hayyan gas fields was repelled. On 18 February, the Army captured the Tarfah Al-Gharbiyah area and imposed full control over the Hayyan gas fields while pushing to the outskirts of Jazal Mountains. On the next day, they attacked the Jazal and al-Mahr oil fields and captured several of ISIL's final positions in eastern part of Al-Bayarat. On 20 February, it was reported to have captured Tarfah al-Sharqiyah.