Eastern Syria(CNN) Driving along a bumpy road on the eastern fringes of Syria's Hama province, dozens of government army personnel watch from hills overlooking the desert.
Finally we reach a fork in the road -- to the left lies Aleppo, to the right Raqqa, the self-declared capital of ISIS. In this barren place, we receive an escort to a large military base, where artillery cannons are firing intermittently. We're taken to see the commanding general.
The general did not want to appear on camera and did not allow us to use his name, but he spoke openly about the Syrian army's operations here -- combating ISIS but also al Qaeda's wing in Syria, al Nusra Front.
"The Russian intervention has been a blessing," he said.
"They have helped us a great deal and in two ways -- first of all there are the airstrikes themselves. But they also give us aerial intelligence, which allows us to conduct pre-emptive strikes as well."
The general said his forces had recently been gaining ground -- not only on the road to Raqqa but also farther south near the ancient city of Palmyra.
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The UNESCO World Heritage Site is also on the main highway toward Deir Ezzor, Syria's seventh-largest city, which is mostly in the hands of ISIS, but where government forces are holding out in an enclave.
Precious monuments lost in Middle East
Once the largest mosques in the world, built in the 9th century on the Tigris River north of Baghdad. The mosque is famous for the Malwiya Tower, a 52-meter minaret with spiraling ramps for worshipers to climb.
The site was bombed in 2005, in an insurgent attack on a NATO position, destroying the top of the minaret and surrounding walls.
Video: ISIS targets historical artifacts
An "oasis in the Syrian desert"
according to UNESCO, this Aramaic city has stood since the second millennium BC and featured some of the most advanced architecture of the period. The site subsequently evolved through Greco-Roman and Persian periods, providing unique historic insight into those cultures. ISIS now controls the ancient city and has
destroyed shrines, temples and monuments.
The most spectacular legacy of Buddhism in the war-torn country, among the tallest standing Buddhas in the world -- the larger at 53 meters, the other 35 -- had survived over 1,500 years since being carved out of sandstone. The Taliban considered the monuments idolatrous and
destroyed them with dynamite.
Yemen's capital city of Sanaa has seen several
suicide bombings for which ISIS claimed responsibility, and air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition -- although it is unclear who is responsible to the latest damage. These have affected both the old fortified city -- inscribed on UNESCO's
World Heritage List since 1986 -- and the archaeological site of the pre-Islamic walled city of Baraqish, causing "severe damage,"
according to UNESCO itself.
Continually inhabited for 2,500 years, and became the capital of the Romans' Arabian empire. The centerpiece is a magnificent Roman theater dating back to the second century that survived intact until the current conflict. Archaeologists have revealed the site is now severely
damaged from mortar shelling.
A world heritage site originally built in 715 by the Umayyad dynasty, ranking it among the oldest mosques in the world. The epic structure evolved through successive eras, gaining its famous minaret in the late 11th century. This was reduced to rubble in the Syrian civil war in 2013, along with serious damage to the walls and courtyard, which historians have described as the worst ever damage to Syrian heritage.
These 20-meter wide water wheels were first documented in the 5th century, representing an ingenious early irrigation system. Seventeen of the wooden norias (a machine for lifting water into an aqueduct) survived to present day and became Hama's primary tourist attraction, noted for their groaning sounds as they turned. Heritage experts
documented several wheels being burned by fighters in 2014.
The fortress spans at least four millennia, from the days of Alexander the Great, through Roman, Mongol, and Ottoman rule. The site has barely changed since the 16th century and is one of Syria's most popular World Heritage sites. The citadel has been used as an army base in recent fighting and several of its historic buildings
have been destroyed.
The covered markets in the Old City are a famous trade center for the region's finest produce, with dedicated sub-souks for fabrics, food, or accessories. The tunnels became the scene of fierce fighting and many of the oldest are
now damaged beyond recognition, which Unesco has
described as a tragedy.
This French-built suspension bridge was a popular pedestrian crossing and vantage point for its views of the Euphrates River. It became a key supply line in a battle for the city, and
collapsed under shelling. Deir Ez-zor's Siyasiyeh Bridge was also destroyed.
The
ancient Assyrian city around Nineveh Province, Iraq was home to countless treasures of the empire, including statues, monuments and jewels. Following the 2003 invasion the site
has been devastated by looting, with many of the stolen pieces finding homes in museums abroad.
The Crusader castle from the 11th century survived centuries of battles and natural disasters, becoming a World Heritage site in 2006 along with the adjacent castle of Qal'at Salah El-Din. The walls were severely damaged by
regime airstrikes and artillery in 2013, and rebels took positions within it.
The purported resting place of biblical prophet Jonah, along with a tooth believed to be from the whale that consumed him. The site dated to the 8th century BC, and was of great importance to Christian and Muslim faiths. It was
entirely blown up by ISIS militants in 2014 as part of their campaign against perceived apostasy.
Among Syria's most famous Ottoman-style mosques, which also shows
Mamluk influence through its light and dark contrasts. The vast site became a hub of the battle for Homs, itself a front-line of the conflict. The sacred mausoleum has
been completely destroyed, and much of the interiors burned.
A key city for the Greeks and Romans, established in 630 BC. Famed as the basis for enduring myths and legends, such as that of the huntress heroine of the same name and bride of Apollo. The ruins were some of the best preserved from that period, but in the wake of Libya's revolution,
vast tracts have been bulldozed including its unique necropolis complex.
Home to one of the world's most impressive collections, with over 100,000 pieces that cover the entirety of Islamic history. The Cairo site was first built in 1881, the museum recently underwent an eight-year multi-million dollar renovation. Shortly after re-opening, a car bomb targeting a nearby police building
caused catastrophic damage and forced the museum to close again.
This 121-year-old wooden building, humble but elegant, was home to the nation's first governor general Muhammed Ali Jinnah for the last phase of his life. The residency
was attacked with rocket fire by a separatist group in 2013, and almost completely demolished. A new structure is being built on the site.
A 15-year civil war of incredible brutality, successive battles with Israel, and sweeping urban development has robbed the 'Paris of the Middle East' of much of its visual lustre. Once known for its landscape of swaggering Ottoman, French and Art Deco architecture, officials say just 400 of 1200 protected historic buildings remain.
Before-and-after photographs of the destruction. The US and ISIS trade blame for
its loss.
The United States and other Western powers have accused the Syrian government and its Russian backers of mostly fighting against moderate rebels, and putting little effort into operations against ISIS -- a charge Moscow has denied.
But the general rejected those allegations and said his forces have firefights with ISIS militants every day. He acknowledged, however, that other military operations, such as the major offensive in Aleppo province, are a priority.
"Of course our operations are also dependent on the battlefields in Latakia and Aleppo," he said.
"Right now the main priority is to seal the border with Turkey -- to cut the supply lines of all the rebel groups."
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Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad has granted a general amnesty to military deserters, according to Syria's state news agency SANA. The amnesty applies to deserters inside and outside the country, who left the military before February 17.
The battle lines in the area east of Aleppo are complicated. While the Syrian military's fortifications are sometimes less than a mile away from ISIS areas to the east, forces also face pockets of al-Nusra resistance to the west.
The commander said he would welcome assistance in fighting ISIS, including from the United States and its allies.
At the same time he appeared cynical when asked about the current U.S. contribution to that battle.
Syrian refugees flee embattled city of Aleppo
Syrian refugees await their fate near the Turkish border gate as they flee the northern embattled city of Aleppo on February 6, 2016.
Refugees push each other as they wait for tents near the Turkish border on February 6.
A refugee girl reacts near the Turkish border gate on February 6.
Refugees jostle one another for tents near the Turkish border on February 6.
Refugee children arrive at the Turkish border gate on February 6.
Syrian refugees are pictured in a camp as they flee the city of Aleppo on February 6.
A refugee carries a heavy bag of items near the Turkish border gate on February 6.
A refugee woman carries her belongings near the Turkish border gate on February 6.
Refugee children sit on a car near the Turkish border crossing on February 6.
A refugee warms himself at a bonfire near the Turkish border on February 6.
Refugees brave the cold and rain as they arrive at the Turkish border on February 6.
A child tries to climb over a fence near the Turkish border as Syrians fleeing the northern city of Aleppo wait on February 6.
A young refugee carrying belongings arrives at the Turkish border on February 6.
Refugees arrive near the Turkish border as they flee the city of Aleppo on February 6.
A child carries his belongings as Syrian refugees arrive at the Turkish border on February 6.
A child sleeps as Syrians fleeing the northern embattled city of Aleppo wait near the Turkish border on February 5, 2016.
A Syrian teenager and a child look on near the Turkish border on February 5.
"America? Are they doing anything?" he asked. "I have not seen them make a contribution yet. On the contrary, they are the ones who made ISIS strong."
To emphasize his point, he showed a photo of a U.S. Humvee, which he said ISIS had used in an assault on one of his bases. He said his troops took out the vehicle with a Russian-made missile.
As the artillery kept firing, I asked if and when he thought his forces would be able to oust ISIS from Syria.
"I cannot make any real predictions," he said. "But if there is no foreign intervention from Saudi Arabia or Turkey, I think we can be in Raqqa city by the end of the year."
At this point the general's forces are still far away from achieving that goal and have a lot of desert terrain to cover.
But with Russia's intervention in the five-year conflict, Syrian troops seem more confident than ever of taking on ISIS.
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