Syria kills 400 IS rebels, takes complete control of Palmyra

Syrian government forces recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from IS militants in a resounding victory today.

Syrian government troops wave near the ancient city of Palmyra. Photo: AFP

"After fierce fighting last night, the army is in full control of Palmyra, including the ancient citadel and surrounding residential areas," AFP quoted an anonymous military source as saying.

IS militants have now retreated to towns.Sukhnah in Raqa and Deir Ezzor to the east.Engineers are dismantling dozens of bombs and mines planted by IS in ancient relics.

According to Reuters,The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed there was still gunfire in the east of the city this morning, but most IS forces had withdrawn.

GrandfatherRami Abdulrahman, the headSOHRsaid 400 militants were killed. This is the biggest defeat for IS since they controlled Syria and Iraq from 2014.

The Syrian army has gained ground against IS in part thanks to the support of a Russian air campaign.The Russian Defense Ministry announced yesterday that it had carried out 40 airstrikes near Palmyra, hitting 158 targets and destroying more than 100 IS militants.

Palmyra, known as the "Pearl of the Desert", was captured by IS and many artifacts were destroyed since May last year, includingtemples, triumphal arches and tomb towers.

This victory of the Syrian army is considered a strategic and symbolic step forward for the Syrian President.Bashar al-Assad, for helping the country control the area containing roads leading to the Iraqi border.Observers say if Syrian government forces recapture all of Palmyra, they will have an advantage in taking back the two largest cities held by IS, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.

According to VNE