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Russian Defense Ministry plans to set up field hospital in Palmyra

According to the defense minister, "it will have modern medical equipment and be capable of working autonomously during 30 days"
Combat engineers of the Russian Armed Forces clearing mines from the ancient town of Palmyra Konstantin Leyfer/TASS
Combat engineers of the Russian Armed Forces clearing mines from the ancient town of Palmyra
© Konstantin Leyfer/TASS

MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. A field hospital will be deployed in Syria’s city of Palmyra for the timely provision of medical aid to the personnel of the Russian group of forces in Syria, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.

"It will have modern medical equipment and be capable of working autonomously during 30 days," the defense minister said at a teleconference with the senior staff of the Russian Armed Forces at the National Defense Control Center.

"If necessary, both Syrian military servicemen and the local population that have begun to return to Palmyra will be able to apply here [to the hospital]," Shoigu added.

Palmyra, an ancient city in Syria’s Homs province, was under the control of militants of the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) since May 2015 and was liberated by the Syrian army on March 27, 2016, with support from the Russian air group and special operations forces. The city referred to as the "gem" of the Syrian Desert was one of the richest ancient civilization centers. The Silk Route ran through Palmyra located in an oasis some 240 kilometers off Damascus. The ruins of the ancient city have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.