Palmyra

A leading Serbian military expert has cast strong doubts on the plans of the Serbian Defence Ministry to depoly troops in de-mining operations in Syria with Russia by the end of 2018.

Aleksandar Radic, an expert on military issues, told BIRN that Minister Zoran Djordjevic's pledge was a "wrong, easily given political promise".

The Serbian Army want to take part in demining operations in Syria, including in Palmyra, but currently lack the capacities for this.

Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic said this in Moscow on Tuesday.

Photo: Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresensky

The Serbian armed forces want to take part in the mine clearance operations in Syria, including in Palmyra, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic said after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

Daesh (IS/ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) terrorist fighters had attacked the Syrian armed forces at the same time and in the same vicinity as the US missile strike on its airfield near Homs, an informed source told Sputnik on Friday.

Syria's army said on March 17 it shot down an Israeli plane that had been carrying out pre-dawn raids on a military target near Palmyra, the famed desert city it recently recaptured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). However, Israeli officials denied the claim, saying all jets had returned to their base safely.

Syria's army said on March 17 it shot down an Israeli plane that had been carrying out pre-dawn raids on a military target near Palmyra, the famed desert city it recently recaptured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). However, Israeli officials denied the claim, saying all jets had returned to their base safely.

Isis has been driven out of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra for a second time under three months after jihadis retook their former stronghold.

The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, claimed the Syrian army had fully recaptured the militant stronghold on Thursday, although monitors said air strikes and clashes were ongoing.

The Islamic State recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in December for the second time. The Syrian Army although fought bravely, they were not able to defend the the city.

According to Reuters, the ISIS has destroyed at least a part of the Tetrapylon, the Roman amphitheater. The Syrian administrator of Antiquities, archaeologist Maamoun Abdulkarim confirmed the sad news.

BELGRADE - A Syrian Arab Army (SAA) officer informed Al-Masdar News on Monday evening that the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham" ( Daesh / ISIS / ISIL / IS ) has begun withdrawing from the western countryside of Palmyra after suffering a significant number of casualties over the last three weeks.

Illustration - Photo: Al-Alam

BELGRADE - Syrian government forces managed to evacuate some 80 percent of Palmyra population, the fate of the rest is cause for concerns, Homs Governor Talal Barazi announced.

"Some 80 percent of Palmyra residents have been evacuated, we are concerned with the fate of those who are remaining there," Barazi said in a statement on Sunday.