Syrian army soldiers and the assault detachment ‘Desert Hawks’ destroyed the last pockets of the Daesh fighters' resistance and took full control of the city of Palmyra.
"The army and militias completely liberated Palmyra. This morning fighting was still ongoing. But all the Daesh militants remaining in the city were eliminated,’’ RIA Novosti quotes a source in the headquarters of the offensive team in Palmyra.
According to him, the Daesh militants continued resistance near the airport and in the city center, the remaining terrorists covered the retreat of the main part of the militants from Palmyra. ‘’The militants remaining in the city were suicide bombers,they were resisting until they were all eliminated,’’ the source concluded.
The fierce fighting for Palmyra continued for a few days. On Friday on March 25th the Syrian troops were able to clear the terrorists out of the ancient fortress of the Emir Fakhraddin at the western entrance to Palmyra, after which the troops marched to the city center, which was also not easy. The situation was complicated by the fact that the Daesh militants laid mines on the route of the Syrian troops. However, on Friday morning the Syrians managed to dislodge the militants from the hotel complex ‘Semiramis’ in the southern part of the city and the hill where the telecommunications tower is located.
Earlier, the head of the Department of Antiquities and Museums of the SAR, Maamun Abdel Kerim, said that the Syrian authorities hope for help from the international community in the reconstruction of Palmyra, which has been destroyed by militants. "The main role in this process should be taken by UNESCO,’’ he said, recalling that since the capture of Palmyra by the Daesh militants many cultural monuments were destroyed. in May 2015 the Islamists blew up the temples of Bela and Baalshamina and also the antique Arc de Triomphe. The local museum and the ancient necropolis were sacked.
"We have done everything possible to deduce the biggest part of the property from Palmyra. However, due to the war we had to leave many things. Thanks to the actions of the Syrian army and its allies, the Daesh militants are currently occupied with saving their lives and cannot cause any damage to the ancient city. Hopefully, we will not have unpleasant surprises when we can finally get back to Palmyra," the official hopes.
