#Syria #Russia #ISIS #Palmyra #oasiscity #terrorism

Backed by Russia air strikes and ground troops, Syrian troops completed the recapture of the historic city of Palmyra from the Islamic State on Thursday.

Palmyra, one of the most beautiful oasis city, also home to priceless cultural heritage and also the UNESCO world heritage site, had seen its fair share of war over the last few years. The city was first siezed by IS in May 2015 when the group began to systematically destroy and loot the UNESCO world heritage site’s monuments and temples. In March 2016, the city was captured by the government. However, in December 2016 the city was recaptured when the government was focused on seizing rebel-held east Aleppo.

Moscow’s support has been key in the Syrian army’s Palmyra push, and its warplanes continued to bombard IS positions inside and near the city on Thursday, the Observatory reported.

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