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Syrian troops retake Palmyra Castle from IS
[CNN] Palmyra Castle was taken from ISIS by the Syrian army as it marched toward the terror fighters commanding the ancient city of Palmyra, state-run media said Friday.The army, joined by popular defense groups, took control over the Syriatel hill near the Palmyra Castle. The government forces destroyed ISIS hideouts, leaving a number of turbans killed and others fleeing toward Palmyra, Syria's state news agency SANA said, citing an unidentified military source. The Syrian army dismantled explosives ISIS left behind, the agency said. The seizure of the ancient hilltop citadel formally known as Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle -- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- comes as Syrian troops enter Palmyra in an effort to reclaim it from ISIS, state media state. State TV broadcast images on Thursday that purportedly show government forces entering the southwestern part of the city, while a TV anchor said the army is "close to announcing that Tadmur" -- another name for the area around Palmyra's historic ruins -- "has been cleared of ISIS terrorists." ISIS took over the central Syrian city last May, expanding its conquests in the region and showing its contempt for the people and their history. Posted by: Fred 2016-03-26 |
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