MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Syrian government forces drove Islamic State fighters from Palmyra on Sunday, according to reports.
Syrian Army reportedly said the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in the ancient city of Palmyra is the start of a further collapse of the militant group,
The military said the recapture of the ancient city took place with the help of the Russian and Syrian air force.
The city fell to the IS militants last May and the Syrian army started a broad offensive to recapture it several days ago.
Since capturing it last May, the IS group destroyed the city's military prison and several Islamic tombs. It also put on public executions of soldiers and people accused of working for the government.
Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2016 AFX News
