Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian airstrikes have seized three neighborhoods inside Palmyra, a town with famed Roman-era ruins that fell to the Islamic State group last May, state media reported today.
Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in the past day, hitting 158 targets and killing over 100 militants, Russia's defense ministry said.
Syrian troops and allied militiamen have taken up positions in the three neighborhoods that are part of the modern town, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.
Palmyra, affectionately known as the "bride of the desert," used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year. IS drove out government forces in a matter of days and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the UNESCO world heritage site. The extremists believe ancient ruins promote idolatry.
The militants also demolished the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents were reported to have been tortured.
Retaking the town would be a major victory for President Bashar Assad's government, which has made steady gains in recent months against IS and other insurgents.
The battle for Palmyra, now entering its fourth week according to the Observatory, has not been easy. Government forces lost at least 18 soldiers yesterday alone, including a major general, the Observatory and IS-affiliated media sites reported. The Observatory's figures indicate at least 56 soldiers have died in fighting this week.
Footage broadcast on Lebanese stations aligned with the Syrian government showed smoke rising over Palmyra's skyline, as tanks and helicopters fired at positions inside the town.
IS began evacuating civilians this week to other parts of its territories in Syria. No civilians remain in the town, a Palmyra resident who left earlier this week told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity out of safety concerns.
The fate of the archaeological site was not immediately clear. Activists citing sources among advancing government forces said the two sides were fighting over the area, while the Observatory said government forces had retaken the site. Syrian state media made no mention of the area.
The head of Syria's antiquities and museums authority described the condition of the remaining monuments including the grand amphitheater, the market place, public baths, and a long colonnade as "excellent," with only minor damage, based on footage captured by a drone and broadcast on Russian television yesterday.
