Syrian army captures western parts of Palmyra

The Syrian army is dvancing against the Islamic State (IS) group in the city of Palmyra in central Syria, capturing parts of western mountains in the city, local media said Sunday.

The troops captured parts of the western parts of Palmyra amid a collapse in the IS ranks, who are fleeing amid the progress of the army, according to the pro-government Sama TV and activists.

The IS stormed Palmyra and its ancient part last May, prompting the Syrian troops to wage a counter offensive for the recapture of that city.

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

After storming Palmyra, the IS militants blew up the city's military prison and several Islamic tombs.

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