Alwaght-Syrian President Bashar al Assad has hailed the important role of Russia support in liberation of the historical city of Palmyra from ISIS Takfiri terrorist group.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a telephone conversation with the his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, “Assad highly valued the help Russian air forces have provided and underlined that such successes as regaining Palmyra would have been impossible without Russia's support."
“Vladimir Putin congratulated his counterpart on retaking the city of Palmyra from terrorists and noted the importance of preserving this unique historic site for world culture," the Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday.
"Putin once again stressed that despite the withdrawal of the bulk of Russia's military contingent from Syria, Russia’s forces will continue to help the Syrian authorities in their anti-terrorist efforts," he added.
On Sunday, the Syrian Army retook the historic city of Palmyra from ISIS terrorist group, which had occupied it since last May. Russian warplanes were providing heavy support from the air.
The Russian Air Force has made 40 flights over the area of the Syrian city of Palmyra in the last 24 hours, hitting 117 targets and killing over 80 militants, the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria said Sunday.
Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised that the Russian contingent in Syria will take part in demining works in Palmyra, Kremlin spokesman after Putin’s telephone conversation with UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova.
The Russian leader congratulated the UNESCO director general on the liberation of the ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, from terrorists. "Putin informed Bokova that officers of the Russian contingent jointly with the Syrian military will take part in demining works in this ancient city," Peskov said.
"The Russian president and the UNESCO director general agreed that UNESCO, Russia and Syria will take necessary measures as soon as possible to evaluate damage done to Palmyra by terrorists and to work out a plan of actions to restore what can be restored," the Kemlin spokesman said.
Bokova thanked Putin for assistance and reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to joint work, Peskov added.
Palmyra, an ancient city in Syria’s Homs province, was seized by gunmen of the Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) in early summer 2015. The Syrian authorities said back then that Palmyra with its monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, could share the miserable fate of Iraq’s ancient cities of Assur, Nimrud and Hatra that were destroyed by ISIS terrorists.
