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| Syrian Army backed by Russian Air Force thwarts ISIS attack on Palmyra | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Syrian Army backed by the Russian Air Force has repelled all Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) attempts to recapture the historic city of Palmyra, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. | The Syrian Army backed by the Russian Air Force has repelled all Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) attempts to recapture the historic city of Palmyra, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. |
| “Over the past night, with active Russian air support, Syrian government forces repulsed all attacks by the terrorists on Palmyra,” the ministry said in a statement. | |
| Over 300 militants were killed in the offensive. | |
| “The militants actively used cars filled with explosives, armored vehicles, and rocket artillery. Russian aircraft carried out 64 airstrikes on militant gatherings, positions, columns, and reserves as they advanced.” | |
| The ministry added that 11 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, and 31 cars equipped with heavy machine guns have been destroyed. | |
| Recaptured from IS in March 2016, the unique UNESCO heritage site in central Syria has again become a battlefield. | |
| Earlier on Saturday, there were reports that IS militants “re-entered Palmyra” for the first time since they were ousted by Syrian and Russian forces. | |
| The activist-run Palmyra Coordination network told AP that jihadists allegedly entered Palmyra’s northern and northwestern neighborhoods. | |
| The Syrian Army is also continuing a large-scale offensive in eastern Aleppo, targeting Al-Nusra Front and other radical militants still controlling the area. The Russian Reconciliation Center said on Saturday that the Syrian government now controls 93 percent of Aleppo. | |
| READ MORE: Russian Reconciliation Center evacuated 50,000 civilians from E. Aleppo in past 2 days – MoD | |
| Over the past 48 hours, up to 50,000 people have been evacuated from eastern Aleppo, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday, adding that “1,217 militants laid down their weapons.” |