MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Palmyra, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains monumental ruins of an ancient Roman city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the antique world.
It was seized on May 20, following a week of fighting. The Syrian government forces withdrew from Palmyra to avoid the destruction of the historic part of the city. A majority of Palmyra's population was evacuated.
“It is unknown whether they have mined the city in order to destroy the antiquities or to prevent the regime forces from getting advance towards the city,” the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on its website.
