Interview: Restoring Palmyra saves entire civilization from demolition

The Syrian army's recapture of Palmyra ends the destruction of the ancient caravan city and saves a civilization threatened by the barbaric acts of the Islamic State (IS) group, the head of the antiquities department told Xinhua on Sunday.

"One of the most beautiful icons in the Syrian heritage is returning to Syria," Maamoun Abdul-Karim told Xinhua, as the Syrian army fully recaptured the millennia-old oasis city of Palmyra earlier on Sunday, following three weeks of intense battles against the IS.

"The military campaign for retaking Palmyra has saved the city from demolition and gave us hope," Abdul-Karim said.

Meanwhile, Abdul-Karim said his department in cooperation with the UNESCO will start the reconstruction of the sites that have been bombed by the IS, which had been in control of the city since May of last year.

The head of the antiquities department said the general panoramic view of the city is still intact, noting that the few affected sites will be restored soon.

"There is no complete destruction in the city, but in few sites only," Abdul-Karim said, in reference to the areas that was bombed by the IS, including the Victory Arch, two temples and 10 tower tombs as well as some statues.

"We are moving toward restoring the damaged areas, as we have the experience and the capabilities," he said.

Abdul-Karim noted that he is in direct contact with the UNESCO and other concerned international organizations for the restoration process in Palmyra.

"We will immediately start the restoration process and will assess the damages directly from the site," he added.

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

Syria is endowed with several prehistoric Greek, Byzantine and Islamic roots.

Syria used to attract numerous multinational archaeological missions seeking new clues and investigating historical facts concerning the development of civilizations before the crisis.

Since occupying Palmyra last May, the IS destroyed the city's military prison along with several Islamic tombs. It also publicly executed soldiers and individuals accused of working for the government.

Three weeks ago, the Syrian army backed by Russian air force and Shiite fighters started a wide-scale offensive for the recapture of the city.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on recovering Palmyra.

State news agency SANA said Putin, whose air force played a crucial role in supporting the Syrian army, congratulated Assad by phone on liberating Palmyra from the grip of the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Putin promised ongoing Russian support to Syria's army.

Assad said the Syrian army's determination and the "efficient" support of Russia's air force were behind the recovery of Palmyra.

He said earlier that the military's recovery of Palmyra demonstrated the Syrian army and its allies' efficient strategy in the war on terror.

He added that Syria and Russia's effective strategy is markedly prominent when compared with the U.S.-led coalition.

The Syrian Army's General Commander said that defeating the IS in Palmyra is just the beginning of an anticipated domino effect leading to the militant group's total collapse.

"Recapturing Palmyra dealt IS a strong blow and will most certainly destroy the group's morale, thereby launching its final collapse," the Syrian army said in a statement.

The recovery of Palmyra, the statement added, "demonstrated that our army in cooperation with our allies are the main powers capable of eradicating terrorism."

The military's statement referred to both the Russian and Syrian air forces' efficient help in recapturing the ancient city.

Meanwhile, the state-run Alekhbaria news agency said the three-week armed conflict in Palmyra killed over 600 IS militants, whereas the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the troops killed over 400 militants.

Activists added that the campaign killed 180 Syrian soldiers.

A military source told Xinhua that the IS withdrew from the city under heavy attack and shelling by the Syrian army.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IS retreated towards the town of Sukhneh, east of the central province of Homs.

The source then confirmed that the ancient city of Palmyra is booby-trapped and that bomb squads have started working. Endit