Syria recaptures Palmyra from ISIL

The Syrian army has made considerable gains since its Russian ally began bombing ISIL positions in September. ISIL’s loss of Palmyra is a strong blow against the extremist organization, experts say [Xinhua]

Syrian State TV is reporting that the national army has completed the recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State.

The ancient sites in Palmyra are considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Syrian army was supported by heavy Russian aerial bombardment of Islamic State positions in and around the city.

The Russian military said it had carried out 158 bombing sorties.

According to Syrian media reports, the army on Sunday started mop-up operations for any remnants of Islamic State fighters still holed up in the city.

They have also started defusing booby traps and locating and removing mines.

Fighting was reported on the outskirts of the city. ISIL said it had carried out two suicide bombing counterattacks.

In May, Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS) fighters overran the army’s positions in Palmyra and proceeded to execute captured soldiers. It then destroyed a number of ancient sites and artifacts.

Its fighters have since the capture of Mosul in northern Iraq embarked on a systematic campaign of destroying ancient sites, including tombs of Muslim and Christian saints, in both Iraq and Syria.

UNESCO says the destruction of ancient sites in Palmyra is a war crime.

The Syrian military says that the recapture of Palmyra is a significant blow to the Islamic State.

The Syrian military is now looking to liberate the self-styled Islamic State capital of Raqqa on the north banks of the Euphrates River.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies