HMEIMIM (Sputnik) — Syrian armed forces recaptured the historic city from jihadist militants last week with air support from Russia. During their 10-month control of the city, Islamists destroyed multiple ancient treasures and booby-trapped the ruins.
"A second group of experts from Russia’s International Mine Action Center have arrived in the Palmyra area. Russian sappers have begun preparations to demine infrastructure assets and the historic part of the city," the Russian military said in a bulletin.
The first group of Russian sappers set up a field camp near Palmyra late Saturday after travelling almost 200 miles from Russia’s Hmeymim airbase in Latakia with a convoy of 20 vehicles guarded by Russian attack helicopters.
