At least 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush on a desert road near Palmyra in eastern Syria on Sunday, government media service Sana reported.
The news agency said 18 soldiers were also wounded in the attack that involved a variety of weapons.
British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed ISIS for the attack and reported the death toll as 15.
Despite the fall of the self-proclaimed ISIS "caliphate" in 2019, the group continues to launch deadly attacks from hideouts in the Syrian desert, which extends from the outskirts of the capital Damascus to the Iraqi border.
The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources across the country, said the death toll could rise as most of the wounded soldiers were in a serious condition.
ISIS did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.
Syrian soldiers are occasionally moved across country by bus, a high-risk mode of transport given the large concentration of men within a single unarmoured vehicle.
In January, ISIS militants fired rockets and an anti-aircraft gun at a bus travelling in the same area, killing five soldiers.
In October, 27 Syrian soldiers were killed when a bus in Damascus was blown up by two bombs. Two similar attacks in central Syria and in Damascus in January killed eight soldiers.
Palmyra, which has a Unesco World Heritage site that includes Roman ruins, was seized by ISIS in 2015 at the height of the country's civil war.
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Palmyra, which means City of Palms, is known in Syria as Tadmor, or City of Dates. File photo from March 14, 2014, shows a sculpture in the ancient Syrian oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres north-east of Damascus, displayed at the city’s museum. Joseph Eid / AFP Photo -

Its name first appeared on a tablet in the 19th century BCE as a stopping point for caravans travelling on the Silk Road and between the Gulf and the Mediterranean. File photo from March 14, 2014 showing a partial view of the ancient oasis city. ISIL seized full control of Palmyra on May 21, 2015, putting the world heritage site at risk of destruction. Joseph Eid / AFP Photo -

Palmyra rose to prominence during the Roman Empire. Photo from May 19, 2015 shows a road sign in Palmyra city. Reuters -

Though surrounded by desert dunes, Palmyra developed into a luxurious metropolis thanks to the trade of spices, perfumes, silk and ivory from the east, and statues and glasswork from Phoenicia. Photo from May 19, 2015 shows residents walking in the city. Reuters -

In the year 129AD, Roman emperor Hadrian declared Palmyra a ‘free city’ within his empire. A general view taken on May 18, 2015. AFP Photo -

As the Roman Empire faced internal political instability in the third century, Palmyra took the opportunity to declare its independence. File photo from March 14, 2014 shows the citadel of the ancient Palmyra. Joseph Eid / AFP Photo -

Palmyra bears scars of Syria’s continuing war: clashes between armed rebels and government forces in 2013 left collapsed columns and statues in their wake. Days before its capture, a Syrian armoured tank took up position during battles against ISIL on May 19, 2015. EPA -

According to the governor of Homs province, the inner city is home to about 35,000 people, including those displaced by fighting nearby. Photo handout released on May 17, 2015, by the Syrian official news agency Sana, shows a wide view of the ancient city. Sana via AP -

Another 35,000 live in the city’s suburbs. Seen here on May 19, days before its fall, residents walk near a military lorry that belongs to forces loyal to Syria’s president Bashar Al Assad, near the historical city of Palmyra. Reuters -

Hundreds of statues and artefacts from Palmyra’s museum were transferred out of the city before it fell to ISIL, according to Syria’s antiquities chief Mamoun Abdulkarim. Photo from May 19, 2015 shows Palmyra’s famous graves. Reuters -

Many other priceless archaeological sites, including massive tombs, could not be moved, renewing fears the extremist group will destroy the ruins if they reach them. Photo released on May 17, 2015, by the Syrian official news agency Sana. Sana via AP
The city was retaken in March 2016 after Russia's intervention to assist President Bashar Al Assad, only to fall back into ISIS hands in December 2016, before again being recaptured by government forces in January 2017.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
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Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
World Mental Health Day
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.

