Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:55:38
Syrian armed forces have successfully established full control over the ancient city of Palmyra in the west-central Homs Province, latest in a string of victories over the ISIS Takfiri terrorists.
"After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra -- both the ancient site and the residential neighborhoods," an unnamed military source said on Sunday.
"Army sappers are in the process of defusing dozens of bombs and mines planted inside the ancient site," the anonymous military source added.
The major gain came after Syrian army’s advances in the western and northern parts of Palmyra during the past several days and intensive military operations in the south.
The historic city fell to ISIS last May. The Syrian army and allied forces kicked off an assault earlier this month to take Palmyra back with the help of airstrikes and artillery fire.
ISIS militants have reportedly pulled out of the city after the army recaptured it on Sunday and are said to have retreated to the cities of Sukhnah, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor in the east.
The liberation of Palmyra now causes eastern Syria to open up to the army and deals a heavy blow to the ISIS Takfiri terrorists who are in control of most of the two provinces of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
The fall of Palmyra raised global concern as the terrorists blew up its UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years.
ISIS turned Palmyra's ancient amphitheater into a site for public executions, and its terrorists beheaded the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief there.
In recent months, Syrian army, backed by the Russian air power, has been making major gains against Takfiri groups, recapturing several strategic areas from their grip, particularly in the strategic northern province of Aleppo.
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