According to the Agency Sputnik with reference to the statement by Syrian Brigadier-General whose name is not given in the message, the Syrian government forces took old town Palmyra.
“The Syrian army regained control of the historic city of Tadmor (Palmyra) using small arms,” — said the Agency interlocutor. As noted by Sputnik, the General said that the city was taken without air support.
Earlier today Syrian news Agency SANA, and the Iranian news Agency Fars reported that the Syrian army with the support of allies managed to cut two strategically important roads linking Palmyra to Aleppo, which is located to the North of the city Kariatain.
The Fars news Agency on the morning of March 23 also reported that Syrian forces and their allies have liberated the strategic area in the suburbs of Palmyra after a fierce battle with the militants of the “Islamic state” (ISIS, the organization banned in Russia). The source Agency reported that the Syrian army and its allies suffered minimal losses, while from fighters were killed about 30 people.
Agency SANA yesterday reported that parts of the government army with air support managed to seize the mountain al-Hayali, which dominates the South-Western part of Palmyra. In addition to that, the military destroyed the fortified positions of the militants on the Western outskirts of the city.
Earlier, on 15 March, it became known that the Syrian army has made considerable progress West of Palmyra. As reported by Reuters, this happened with the support of Russian aviation. Two days later, the Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad said that the Syrian army was able to prepare for the release of Palmyra thanks to the support of the Russian armed forces. A day later the chief of the main operations Directorate of the General staff of the Russian Armed forces, Lieutenant-General Sergey rudskoy said that Syria has created conditions for the encirclement and defeat of ISIL militants in Palmyra.
As previously posted , the release of Palmyra will allow the Syrian army to continue to launch an offensive on Deir-ez-Zor and to free from terrorists the whole Southeast Syria, is predominantly a desert territory.
Palmyra — one of the largest cities, a rich center of Commerce and culture of late antiquity. It is located in an oasis of the Syrian desert, near the border with Iraq. Ruins of ancient Roman buildings preserved in the city, a UNESCO world heritage site. Among them is the temple of Bel (I century BC), the temple Balsamina (II century ad), Agora (III century), the amphitheater and the caravanserai. Some of the monuments were evacuated until 2012, but for the most part they are transportable. After the capture of the city by ISIL militants destroyed a statue of the “lion of Allat”, Balsamina temple, the temple of Bel, funerary towers in the Valley of the tombs and the triumphal arch.
After Moscow in March this year announced the withdrawal of the main grouping of his troops from Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope for the early release of Palmyra, which was called the “pearl of the world civilization”.
