[ARA News] HOMS – Syrian regime’s air force hit the ancient city of Palmyra in the country’s central province of Homs with a number of barrel bombs, local sources reported on Monday.Dozens of civilian casualties were reported in the bombardment, which also caused a massive damage to the residential buildings in the historical city.
Speaking to ARA News in Palmyra, media activist Amer Musa said that the pro-regime helicopters dropped on Monday dozens of barrel bombs on the al-Joumiya al-Gharbiya neighborhood in western Palmyra city.
“Dozens of people were killed and injured in the strikes,” Musa reported.
The attack caused a huge fire in the al-Joumiya al-Gharbiya and destroyed most of the residential buildings across the neighborhood.
ARA News could not verify the exact number of casualties in the attack.
“Palmyra had been evacuated of most of its residents due to the mounting violence,” the source reported, pointing out that the majority of the city’s population fled towards rural areas, especially the Sukhna townــwhich shelters thousands of displaced people.
In the meantime, Syrian army forces, supported by Russian air cover, continued combatting ISIS insurgents in an attempt to regain ancient Palmyra from the group.
The historical city of Palmyra has been under the control of ISIS since May, when the group stormed headquarters of the Syrian army and seized the whole city subsequent to fierce clashes.