Syrian air force strikes IS targets in Palmyra

The Syrian air force has struck at positions of Islamic State (IS) militants in the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria, Syrian state TV reported on Monday.

Government warplanes carried out airstrikes on IS positions in the millennia-old city in Homs province, the report said, giving no further details.

Meanwhile, Governor of Homs province, Talal Barazi, reportedly said the Syrian army would launch a counter-offensive to recapture Palmyra.

The IS captured Palmyra last Wednesday, amid official media reports that the terrorist group massacred around 400 people, mostly women and children, in the city.

Both the residential parts and historic parts, which host 2,000-year-old monuments and temples of Palmyra have fallen to the IS group.

An airbase, a central prison and the intelligence headquarters were all in IS hands now.

The IS offensive against Palmyra started on May 13. The group has since captured the towns of Sukhneh and Amiriyeh, as well as al-Hail and Arak oilfields.

Mamoun Abdulkarim, director general of Syrian antiquities and museums, told Xinhua news agency that government forces managed to transport all movable ancient items from Palmyra to safe areas.

Abdulkarim expressed great concern over the fate of old temples and monuments that cannot be moved.

Palmyra, a Unesco World Heritage site, contains monumental ruins of a city that was one of the most important cultural centres in ancient times.

--Indo-Asia News Service

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