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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Palmyra: Syria forces 'retake' Islamic State-held city | Palmyra: Syria forces 'retake' Islamic State-held city |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Syrian government forces have re-captured the ancient city of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State (IS), say state media and a monitoring group. | Syrian government forces have re-captured the ancient city of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State (IS), say state media and a monitoring group. |
| The Syrian army had been gaining ground for several days, supported by Russian air strikes. Military sources say the army now has "full control". | The Syrian army had been gaining ground for several days, supported by Russian air strikes. Military sources say the army now has "full control". |
| IS seized the Unesco World Heritage site and modern town in May 2015. | IS seized the Unesco World Heritage site and modern town in May 2015. |
| Images released by the Syrian military on Saturday showed helicopters and tanks firing at positions in Palmyra. | Images released by the Syrian military on Saturday showed helicopters and tanks firing at positions in Palmyra. |
| The date of the footage could not be independently verified. | The date of the footage could not be independently verified. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said there was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city, but the bulk of the IS force had pulled out and retreated further east. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said there was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city, but the bulk of the IS force had pulled out and retreated further east. |
| Why IS militants destroy ancient sites | |
| Palmyra and the logic of loss | |
| In a statement released on Saturday, Russia's defence ministry said the strikes hit 158 IS targets, killing more than 100 militants. | |
| The BBC's Arab affairs analyst Sebastian Usher says the city was important both symbolically and strategically, and its capture was a "major propaganda victory" for President Bashar al-Assad's forces, who could now point to it as evidence that they were attempting to fight against IS. | |
| IS fighters have probably retreated to their stronghold Raqqa in eastern Syria, our analyst says. | |
| He adds that militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah, who were "absolutely essential to the Syrian government throughout the war", had worked with Syrian and Russian forces in a three-week long offensive to take the city back. | |
| Destruction of ancient sites | Destruction of ancient sites |
| When IS seized the city it destroyed archaeological sites, drawing global outrage. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins. | When IS seized the city it destroyed archaeological sites, drawing global outrage. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins. |
| The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous. | The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous. |
| The prospect of the city's liberation was welcomed by Unesco, the UN's cultural agency, which has described the destruction of Palmyra as a war crime. | The prospect of the city's liberation was welcomed by Unesco, the UN's cultural agency, which has described the destruction of Palmyra as a war crime. |
| The head of Syria's antiquities authority, Mamoun Abdelkarim, promised to repair as much of the damage as possible as a "message against terrorism". | The head of Syria's antiquities authority, Mamoun Abdelkarim, promised to repair as much of the damage as possible as a "message against terrorism". |
| Ancient city of Palmyra | Ancient city of Palmyra |
| Palmyra: Blowing ruins to rubble | Palmyra: Blowing ruins to rubble |
| Why IS destroys ancient sites | Why IS destroys ancient sites |