04 March,2017 11:23 AM IST | | Agencies
The General Staff of the Syrian Army on Thursday said it had recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the extremist group Islamic State (IS)
Smoke billows as Syrian regime fighters retake Palmyra. Pic/AFP
Cairo: The General Staff of the Syrian Army on Thursday said it had recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the extremist group Islamic State (IS). The city, which is home to Greco-Roman ruins on the UNESCO World Heritage list, had been the scene of heavy fighting for months.
"Units from our armed forces, in cooperation with our allies, have recovered the city of Tadmur (Palmyra in Arabic) and the surrounding area," said the Syrian Army command in a statement published. The units, led by Iranian and Russia, entered the city on Thursday, three months after IS took it over.
Earlier in the day, most IS combatants withdrew from Palmyra. In their retreat, the terrorists planted mines in various points of the city. SANA confirmed that army engineering units have dismantled explosives and mines planted by IS fighters in the area.
