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IS reportedly in full control of Syria's historic Palmyra city

Xinhua, May 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Islamic State (IS) militants have taken full control of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria, a monitor group reported Thursday.

Both the residential parts and the historic parts, which host 2,000-year-old monuments and temples, of Palmyra have fallen to the IS group, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

An airbase, a central prison and the intelligence headquarters are all in IS hands now, said the monitor group, which says it relies on a network of activists on the ground inside Syria.

About 100 government soldiers were killed Wednesday in the battles in Palmyra, the group reported, saying IS militants now control half of Syria.

Late Wednesday, Syria's official al-Ekbarieh TV said the Syrian National Defense Forces pulled out of Palmyra due to intense IS assaults after evacuating civilians from the city.

The IS offensive against Palmyra started on May 13. The group has since captured the towns of Sukhneh and Amiriyeh and the al-Hail and Arak oilfields.

Mamoun Abdulkarim, general director of Syrian antiquities and museums, told Xinhua that government forces managed to transport all moveable ancient items from Palmyra to safe areas.

Abdulkarim expressed grave concern over the fate of the old temples and monuments that cannot be moved.

Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains monumental ruins of a city that was one of the most important cultural centers in ancient times.

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 Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Syria has many prehistoric, Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritage sites.

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