Video of Russian engineers detecting mines planted by IS in Syria

(Baonghean.vn) - Russian engineering forces are continuing to clear mines in the ancient city of Palmyra, where thousands of civilians are returning after being liberated from IS.

People carry belongings collected from a destroyed house during their return trip to the city of Palmyra, Syria on April 9. Photo: Reuters.

“The first thing I checked when I got home was the roof,” Khudr Hammoud, 68, told AFP as he inspected the structural damage to his house. “The walls, windows and doors are still there, and that’s enough for me to take my family back to Palmyra,” he added.

Hammoud was among the second group of residents to return to the area since April 7, and officials in Homs said they would provide 48 more buses to take more than 2,000 residents back to Palmyra as well as the Christian settlement of Al-Qaryatayn, which was recaptured this month.

Palmyra was home to around 70,000 people before it was captured by the Islamic State (IS) in May 2015. The Syrian army retook the city two weeks ago with support from Russian aircraft and commandos, as well as elite Iranian troops.

Those who return have had difficulty settling down due to a lack of electricity and water, and vast minefields left behind by IS before they withdrew.

Russian engineers conduct mine clearance in Palmyra. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense.

“There is no electricity or water, and we are still clearing the outskirts of the city of bombs. It will take at least three weeks to restore the city’s infrastructure so that people can spend the night in their own homes,” a government source told AFP.

Russian engineers and vehicles continue to clear mines, especially at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Citadel, which features buildings dating back to the Roman era. More than 1,500 bombs have been defused as of April 9, and experts are combing the area on rotation.

Clip of Russian engineers clearing mines in Palmyra:

Phu Binh

(According to RT, AFP)