Syrian forces engage in heavy battles against ISIL outside Palmyra
Iran Press TV
Wed May 20, 2015 5:13PM
Syrian forces are engaged in heavy clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists near the ancient city of Palmyra in the central province of Homs, amid reports that the militants have seized the northern parts of the city.
According to a Wednesday report by the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the ISIL terrorists "seized the northern parts of the city, which amount to a third of Palmyra." After deadly clashes on the northern edges of the city, the militants entered the northern quarter "without their vehicles," the observatory stated.
Syrian forces have been engaged in fierce clashes with the Takfiri terrorists in a bid to prevent them from destroying the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"The site has already suffered four years of conflict, it suffered from looting and represents an irreplaceable treasure for the Syrian people and for the world," Irina Bokova, the director general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said on May 16.
Since March 2011, Syria has been grappling with crisis. Reports show that the violence, fueled by Takfiri groups, has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people.
Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. More than 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced, according to the United Nations.
MIS/HSN/GHN
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