On 30 March, Syrian Army reinforcements were sent to the Palmyra countryside after several ISIL ambushes took place along the Palmyra-Deir ez-Zor highway over the previous two weeks,[74] one of which on 24 March left five soldiers dead.[75] Two days later, at the start of Apil, ISIL conducted a large attack on SAA positions near Palmyra which was repelled after airstrikes were conducted by the Syrian Air Force.[76] By 3 April, more SAA reinforcements were sent in anticipation of a new ISIL attack on government positions.[77] Meanwhile, a group of soldiers went missing following an ISIL ambush along the road near Haribshah on 31 March.[78] On 11 and 18 April, two more ambushes took place with another military convoy going missing along the road between Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor,[79] while an SAA unit was ambushed north of Al-Sukhnah.[80] In addition, heavy fighting took place between 12 and 14 April, involving members of the Palestinian Liwa al-Quds militia.[81]