BEIRUT – Syrian government forces on Sunday seized Palmyra from Islamic State militants, according to state media and a monitoring group, delivering a major blow to the extremist group.
Recapturing the ancient city represents a significant victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, which has seized the upper hand in a multi-faceted and devastating civil war that has turned into a dangerous proxy conflict for major powers. It also is a victory for Russia’s military involvement in Syria, an intervention that has pulverized rebel groups and bolstered Assad, an ally.
Russian warplanes have provided crucial air support for the nearly month-old offensive to retake Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Roman-era monuments. The city is about 150 miles northeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Citing an unnamed military source, the official SANA news agency said that pro-government forces had “eliminated the last gatherings of ISIS terrorists in the city and destroyed their last hideouts.” The Islamic State also is known as ISIS and ISIL.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that clashes continued in the northeastern corner of the city. But the bulk of the extremist group’s fighters had withdrawn by Sunday, according to the Britain-based monitoring group.
The Islamic State stormed into Palmyra in May and began destroying some of the city’s 2,000-year-old ruins, including ancient temples. The militants also used the monuments as forums for mass executions.
The loss of Palmyra is the latest sign that the group has been badly weakened in its strongholds in Iraq and Syria by both pro-Assad fighters and U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.
