MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has kept quiet about the Russian Defense Ministry’s plans in connection with the latest destruction Islamic State terrorists have caused to Syria’s Palmyra.
"I cannot tell you anything about the strategy or tactic of the operation in Syria," he told the media.
Peskov expressed regret over another loss of part of the historical monument.
"Regrettably, the barbarians and terrorists continue to ruin monuments of the history of civilization. This causes regret," he said. "We do hope that sooner or later these historical sites will be clear of these barbarians, who cannot even be called people."
The Islamic State militants seized Palmyra in May 2015. At the end of March 2016 the Syrian army retook the city with Russia’s air support. Last December the Islamic State captured Palmyra again. Syria’s radio and television directorate on January 20 said the Roman Theater and the Tetrapylon had been destroyed. Shortly before that, on January 18 the Russian General Staff warned that the militants were bringing explosives to Palmyra.
The Syrian military is pushing ahead with an offensive operation with the aim to establish control of the city again. On February 7 the Russian General Staff said the Syrian army had made more than half of the way towards Palmyra.