The city of Palmyra and its triumphal arch, now destroyed. SYMBOL. According to the latest news, and according to Radio France International (RFI), the army of the Damascus regime, supported by the Russian air force, has taken over the citadel of Palmyra from Daesh, which fell into the hands of the Islamists in May 2015. State, clarified that the Syrian armed forces "took control of the ancient citadel of Palmyra after inflicting heavy losses on Daesh terrorists" . Syrian regime forces are believed to be within a few hundred meters of the ruins of the ancient city. Already on Thursday, March 24, 2016, Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, had "welcomed the liberation of the archaeological site of Palmyra, a martyred city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List" recalling that for a year, "Palmyra had been a symbol of the cultural purification plaguing the Middle East. The blasting and looting of its treasures had provoked unanimous indignation, reinforcing the unprecedented mobilization in favor of the values that unite all mankind" .
UPDATE. On Sunday March 27, the Syrian armed forces and their allies assisted by the Russian air force took over the entire city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group, including the famous 2000-year-old ancient city listed on the World Heritage List of the Islamic State. 'Unesco.
Some of the damage done in Palmyra is irreparable
But some damage is irreparable, such as the destruction of the temples of Baal Shamin and Bel, those of the funeral towers and the Arc de Triomphe. Irina Bokova also recalled "that as soon as the security conditions allow it, Unesco would be ready to go to Palmyra in the company of those responsible for Syrian antiquities, to carry out a mission to assess the damage and protect the priceless heritage of the city of Palmyra" . The director of Unesco also took the opportunity to declare that "the deliberate destruction of heritage was a war crime and that Unesco would do everything in its power to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished" . For his part, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the director of museums and antiquities in Syria, told AFP that he had asked the Syrian army forces "to preserve the city from destruction" , because the site would be mined. He also clarified "that the southwest of the city" had been liberated "and the Valley of the Tombs" .