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Russian sappers arrive in Syria to demine Palmyra

Xinhua, March 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first batch of Russian sappers has started arriving in Syria to clear mines in the ancient city of Palmyra, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Part of Russia's group of demining experts with the most advanced equipment, including robots and dogs, has already arrived in Syria, said Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Main Operational Directorate.

He added that the special team has received practical training in humanitarian mine clearance.

"In accordance with the instructions given by the Russian president, (the remaining) specialists from the International Mine Action Center of the Russian Armed Forces will arrive in Palmyra in the nearest future," Rudskoi said in an online statement.

The Syrian city of Palmyra has been controlled by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group since May 2015, while the city was liberated on Sunday by the Syrian army with support from Russian air forces.

Rudskoi said preliminary estimates showed the area of demining exceeds 180 hectares in historic and residential parts of Palmyra.

The demining work is complicated by the fact that terrorist forces have left a large number of different improvised explosive devices in Palmyra in addition to standard industrially produced mines.

Rudskoi said about 500 sorties and over 2,000 airstrikes were conducted by Russian air forces on March 7-27 against terrorist targets in Palmyra, using precision weapons.

The recapture of Palmyra is of strategic importance due to its location in central Syria, Rudskoi said.

The city has developed a road network connecting other regions of the country, as well as oil and gas fields and other mineral deposits in the surrounding area, Rudskoi said.

"The return of control of Palmyra by Syrian troops will significantly impede the regrouping and transfer of reserves of armed gangs between the northern and southern regions of Syria," Rudskoi said.

"(Militants') defensive capacities will be significantly reduced in the area of the cities of Damascus and Aleppo," he said.

Rudskoi added that loss of control of the mineral-rich territories will aggravate the economic and financial position of terrorists, and reduce their ability to purchase weapons and munitions and other materials. Endi