This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/379197-syria-army-retake-palmyra/
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Syrian Army recaptures Palmyra, aided by Russian Air Force – Kremlin | Syrian Army recaptures Palmyra, aided by Russian Air Force – Kremlin |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Syrian military, backed by the Russian Air Force, has completed its operation to liberate the key city of Palmyra from militants, Kremlin has announced. | The Syrian military, backed by the Russian Air Force, has completed its operation to liberate the key city of Palmyra from militants, Kremlin has announced. |
| Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city in Syria’s Homs province has been liberated, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. | Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has reported to the commander-in-chief, President Vladimir Putin, that the historic city in Syria’s Homs province has been liberated, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. |
| Syrian Army specialists have begun examining the historic part of Palmyra with the aim of demining the city, a RIA-Novosti correspondent reports. | |
| Fortifications on the outskirts of Palmyra are being erected to prevent any counter-offensive by Islamic State, he added. | |
| “The flag of the Islamic State terrorist group has been removed from the city of Palmyra. It should be viewed as a joint success of the Russian Air Force and the Syrian military. Shortly, the whole territory of Syria will be liberated from the terrorists,” Andrey Krasov, deputy head of the Russian parliament’s Committee for Defense, said. | |
| Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was one of the most important centers of the Roman Empire. | |
| It fell under IS control back in 2015, with the terrorists blowing up several historic monuments, including the 1,800-year-old Monumental Arch of Palmyra, most of the Temple of Bel, and the Temple of Baalshamin. | |
| The city was liberated in last March after a two-week operation by the Syrian Army, with the backing of Russian aviation. | |
| However, the city was retaken by IS in a counteroffensive in December 2016, which forced the Syrian Army to retreat, evacuating 80 percent of the population. | |
| The jihadists resumed their assault on historic heritage, destroying Palmyra’s Roman theater and the legendary Tetrapylon | |
| The new operation to liberate the city was launched shortly afterwards, with the government forces advancing towards the city on a daily basis. | |
| Earlier on Thursday, the Syrian military took the strategic al-Tar heights near the city of Palmyra. |