Syria's Palmyra airbase resumes operation

A military aircraft landed on Monday in the airbase of Palmyra, the first since government troops recaptured the city from Islamic State (IS) militants, Syrian TV reported.

The Syrian air force plane landed at the airbase east of Palmyra, one day after the resumption of full control over the ancient city.

The seizure of the millennia-old caravan oasis city followed three weeks of fighting against IS militants by government troops backed by Russian air force.

Meanwhile, bomb squads were still dismantling the explosive devices planted by the IS terror group in Palmyra.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered help in defusing the explosives in Palmyra.

A day earlier, Putin congratulated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on recovering Palmyra, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA.

SANA said Putin, whose air force played a crucial role in supporting the Syrian army, congratulated Assad by phone on liberating Palmyra from the grips of the IS militant group. Putin promised continued Russian support to Syria's army.

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

The Syrian Army's General Command 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.

Meanwhile, the state-run Alekhbaria news agency said the three-week battle for Palmyra killed over 600 IS militants, whereas the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the troops killed over 400 militants and that 180 government troops lost their lives in the fighting.

The IS retreated toward the town of Sukhneh, east of the central province of Homs, a military source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

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

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

Before the onset of the Syria crisis five years ago, Syria, endowed with prehistoric Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritage, used to attract numerous multinational archaeological missions seeking new clues and investigating historical facts concerning the development of civilizations. Endit