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1st LD: IS militants storm parts of Syria's Palmyra: activists

Xinhua, May 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Islamic State (IS) group overran parts of the city of Palmyra in central Syria on Wednesday, capturing one third of the city amid ongoing battles against the Syrian government forces, a monitor group reported.

The IS militants managed to advance inside the city of Palmyra and controlled one third of the ancient oasis city in eastern countryside of Homs province, amid ongoing battles between the terrorist group and Syrian army units, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group, which relies on a network of activists on ground, said the IS militants are fighting to complete their control of Palmyra, adding that the battles are coupled with airstrikes by the Syrian air force against the IS positions in the city and countryside.

A military source said the Syrian army destroyed positions of the IS in Amiriyeh in northern Palmyra and confronting a terrorist group which infiltrated the northern district of the city.

The IS unleashed their offensive against Palmyra on May 13, and captured towns of Sukhneh and Amiriyeh along with the oil fields of al-Hail and Arak.

The Syrian army sent back-up forces to defend Palmyra and managed to push the IS militants out of areas before the IS made progress on Wednesday.

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 United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization (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 several 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