Isis-affiliated news channel claims victory for jihadi fighters after intense fighting inspires Syrian military to withdraw
Islamic State fighters appear to have reconquered the historic city of Palmyra after days of intense opposing on its outskirts inspired a withdrawal by the Syrian military.
The catastrophe has happened, I am in absolute shock, said Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syrias director of relics, in a phone interview. I am losing hope, it looks like we have lost the city.
An Isis-affiliated news channel claimed victory in the battle on Sunday, saying its soldiers had reclaimed control of the entirety of Palmyra, once a Silk Road oasis that boasted some of the best-preserved wreckings of antiquity.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, corroborated the takeover.
It was the second time Isis has seized Palmyra. In May last year, jihadi militants stormed the city after a week-long siege that ended with the mass retreat of the Syrian military. Activists rampaged through the citys museums and ruins, blowing up the 2,000 -year-old towering Temple of Bel and the Arch of Victory, along with other priceless artefacts, and killed Khaled al-Asaad, Palmyras long-serving leading archaeologist.
The group also carried out mass executions in the historic amphitheatre.
The Syrian army, backed by Russian fighter jets, reclaimed the city in March this year in a well-publicised campaign. Moscow organised a musical concert at the amphitheatre shortly afterwards.
The loss of the city will come as a shock, particularly with Isis in retreat throughout Syria and Iraq with the killing of its top lieutenants and facing increasing pressure in its two largest cities, Mosul and Raqqa.
Abdulkarim said the vast majority of the artefacts that were in Palmyra had already been endeavoured to Damascus for safekeeping, a prescient move that may help preserve something of the citys heritage, one of the few facets that unify many Syrians after virtually six years of civil war.
But the remaining builds in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, including the amphitheatre and the ancient citadel, remain at risk. There were few people left in the city; under 1,000 by government estimates.
We can only pray to God to protect Palmyra and we appeal to the international community to protect Palmyra, because it is a bridge truly between east and west, said Abdulkarim. Otherwise we will weep for more demolition of Syrias heritage.
The loss of Palmyra a second time raises questions about the ability of the Syrian military, worn down after years of fighting, to hold province even with the backing of its Russian friends. The combats on the outskirts of Palmyra have been ongoing for four days and Islamic States takeover was preceded by a night of intense bombardment by Russian warplanes, which carried out more than 60 airstrikes.
It will also come as a shock to commentators as Isis is in retreat on multiple fronts. Drone strikes have claimed the lives of most of the groups leading officials, to be incorporated spokesman, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani. Iraqi troops are inching their style through the eastern half of Mosul, the most populous city under the self-proclaimed caliphates control, and Kurdish paramilitaries as well as Turkish-backed rebels have been steadily gaining ground against the militants in northern Syria.
The latest conquest also demonstrates Isis still has the ability to rally sufficient troops to its cause to conquer territory.
Its a repeat of the same scenario, said Abdulkarim. Today we will watch that same film again, that horror movie, if they stay in the city. It will be an insult to the entire international community and to civilisation as a whole. I hope the international community unites on this again. It must not be politicised. Palmyra is an international treasure.
Read more: www.theguardian.com
