MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS/. Little remains of the famous landmarks in Syria’s Palmyra as a result of the terrorists’ activities, moreover, there is a threat that residential areas will be blown up too, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
According to her, the Syrian government forces continue their offensive towards Palmyra. "The Russian Defense Ministry has posted video recordings made using an unmanned aerial vehicle, which show the ruins of the UNESCO World Heritage sites destroyed by the ISIL (the former name of the Islamic State terror group," the Russian diplomat noted.
"Unfortunately, we can say that there is little left of the ancient architectural landmarks," Zakharova added. "The terrorists have destroyed the front part of the ancient Roman theater. Now, there is a threat that they will blow up the remains of the theater as well as the neighboring residential areas."
The Islamic State terrorists took Palmyra, located 240 kilometers from Damascus, in May 2015, but in late March 2016 the city was liberated by the Syrian troops supported by the Russian Aerospace Force. However, terrorists recaptured the city. The Syrian media reported about the destruction of the Roman amphitheater and the Tetrapylon on January 20. Shortly before that, on January 18, the Russian General Staff had warned that militants had been carrying explosives to Palmyra.
The Syrian government forces have been carrying out an offensive recently in order to liberate the city once again.