Roundup: Syrian army sends back-up to protect Palmyra ruins

The Syrian army has sent reinforcements to protect the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in central Syria from the attack of the Islamic State (IS) militants, a source familiar with the situation told Xinhua Saturday, amid incessant battles at the outskirts of that city.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Syrian forces sent the back-up forces to aid the troops battling the IS at the outskirts of Palmyra, where intense battles have been raging since Thursday, after the IS militants attacked towns at the outskirts of that millennia-old city.

The ancient part of the city is still safe and under the government control, the source stressed, adding that intense clashes are still raging at the outskirts of the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the IS militants captured the al-Hail gas field, 40 km northeast of Palmyra, in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.

It said the capture of that important gas field came after intense battles with the Syrian government forces, adding that the clashes there are still flaring amid Syrian airstrikes on the IS positions near Palmyra.

The gas field is important as it feeds the many electricity generating stations in the Homs, the countryside of Homs and the countryside of the northern city of Aleppo.

Other opposition groups said tens of the Syrian soldiers, as well as tanks and armored vehicles were stationing in that area, making it the first defense line for Palmyra.

A day earlier, Mamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's director-general of antiquities and museums, called on the international community to work on finding solutions to stop the "barbaric" attack by the IS militants against Palmyra, warning of a catastrophe if the terror group succeeded in grabbing it.

"We have called for international solidarity in face of the barbaric campaign led by the terrorist legions of IS who are attacking Palmyra," the official told Xinhua.

"Their threats to enter the city means the threat of a catastrophe as it happened in northern Iraq and there was an international inaction toward destroying the ancient cities there," Abdulkarim said, referring to the destruction that has befallen ancient northern Iraqi cities by the hands of the IS militants.

The Syrian official urged the international community to take actions so that what happened in Iraq's ancient cities will not be repeated in Palmyra.

Abdulkarim said the IS militants are only a few km away from Palmyra, noting that the Syrian army are confronting them and preventing them from inching closer.

"The international community should realize that the army units are defending a civilization... all of the international community must search for solutions to put a limit to the barbaric actions of the IS and to stop them from destroying the civilizations in Iraq and Syria," he added.

"I think it would be an international loss if they managed to storm the city," the official warned.

On Thursday, the UNESCO expressed deep concerns over fighting near Palmyra that is endangering the nearby population and posing an imminent threat to the iconic ruins, calling out to all parties "to make every effort to prevent its destruction."

"The site has already suffered four years of conflict, it suffered from looting and represents an irreplaceable treasure for the Syrian people and for the world," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.

"I appeal to all parties to protect Palmyra and make every effort to prevent its destruction," he said.

UNESCO said Palmyra is considered one of the most important cultural sites in the Middle East.

Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.

From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences, according to the UNESCO.

Syria has many prehistoric, Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritages. Before the crisis, Syria had attracted many multinational archaeological missions coming for searching new clues of historical facts on the development of civilizations.

The UNESCO has listed six Syrian sites on the World Heritage List, including the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo, al-Madhiq castle, the Krak des Chevaliers, the ancient city of Bosra and Palmyra and the ancient villages in northern Syria. Endit