Russian Deminers Defuse Over 18,000 Explosive Devices in Palmyra (VIDEO)

Russian deminers have defused around 18,000 explosive devices in Syria's Palmyra and cleared 852 hectares of land, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' engineering troops said Thursday.

PALMYRA (Sputnik) — The Syrian armed forces, backed by militias and the Russian Aerospace Forces, recaptured Palmyra from Daesh on March 27, nearly a year after terrorists  had taken hold of the city and destroyed much of the UNESCO World Heritage Site's artifacts.

After the liberation of Palmyra, Russia deployed its bomb squad and specialized robots to Syria in the next few days to demine the historic city.

"Overall, during this period, we cleared a total of 852 hectares in the city, 8,500 buildings and structures, discovered and defused about 18,000 explosive devices," Lt. Gen. Yuri Stavitsky told reporters.