Syrian army advances against ISIL in Palmyra

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suffered a double setback in Syria on March 25 as army troops recaptured the ancient citadel in Palmyra and the Pentagon said the jihadists' second-in-command was killed in a U.S. raid.

The fresh gains in Palmyra by Syrian troops backed by allied militia and Russian warplanes came nearly a year after ISIL overran the UNESCO world heritage site, sparking global concern.

The regime advance came after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to intensify the drive for a political settlement in Syria.

"Our armed forces, in coordination with the popular defense forces, have taken control of the ancient Palmyra citadel after inflicting many losses in the ranks of the terrorist group Daesh," Syrian state television said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL.

The army has also cut off the main Palmyra-Deir Ezzor highway leading to the Iraqi border, the report said citing a military source.

The jihadist group had taken over the citadel on May 23, 2015 and raised its notorious black and white flag over it.

The group has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years, and murdered the former antiquities chief in Palmyra, Khaled al-Assaad.

Built in the 13th century, the citadel is Palmyra's main Islamic-era monument.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported that Russian and Syrian warplanes were continuing air strikes in the area.

"The army is now 600 meters from the Temple of Bel, but it is advancing slowly because of mines and above all to protect the city, which is an ancient treasure," Abdelkarim said.

One day before the...