ISIS surrounds Palmyra from all angles except the south

[Anthea]

Russian military removes all mines & bombs in historic Palmyra

Russian engineers have successfully completed clearing the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra of explosives left behind by Islamic State. Nearly 3,000 explosive devices on around 230 hectares (2.3 sq km) of the World Heritage site have been defused.

"The task of clearing the architectural and historical part of Palmyra of explosives has been fully completed," the head of the Russian Army's engineering unit, Yury Stavitsky, reported from Syria to President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

Starting from April 2, Russian engineers with the help of Uran-6 robots and specially trained dogs have cleared 234 hectares of land, 23 kilometers (14 miles) of roads and 10 architectural objects, Stavitsky said, speaking to Russia's Commander-in-Chief via a TV link-up.

In total, 2991 explosive devices, including 432 makeshift bombs, have been defused, the military official reported. Ninety-eight Russian servicemen have been involved in the effort, he added.

Engineers from the Russian Army's International Anti-mine Center were deployed to Palmyra following the Syrian government's request to help de-mine the city. The City of Palms was recaptured by the Syrian Army backed by Russian forces on March 27.

Russian sappers have been working not only at the historic site of Palmyra, but also helped to de-mine the modern city nearby. Nearly 370 buildings have been checked, the military official reported, adding that more than 1,400 explosives have been destroyed. The engineers will continue working in residential areas of Palmyra, Stavitsky said, adding that some 560 hectares (5.6 sq km) of urban areas and an airport still need to be combed for terrorists' explosives.

Prior to its capture by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in May of last year, the city in western Syria was home to about 70,000 people. Hundreds of residents have already returned to the city, local authorities said.

While the UNESCO World Heritage site and the residential area nearby were in the hands of IS, they had infested it with thousands of mines, which could potentially level the city in a matter of seconds. Approaches to the city and its residential quarters were rigged with explosives, which turned Palmyra into a huge "delayed action mine," RT has learned.

Sadly, during their 10 months long occupation of the city, the jihadists put many of their explosives into action, destroying a number of unique historical monuments. Despite earlier hopes that the damage was quite repairable, Palmyra's current appearance is incomparable to how it looked before the IS occupation.

While the Russian engineers along with the Syrian Army have been working in the city, efforts were made by restoration experts and organizations to decide on what can be done to bring Palmyra back to its former cultural glory. Earlier this month, a Russia-drafted resolution on the role of UNESCO in restoring the devastated ancient city was unanimously approved by the organization.

Sadly, during their 10 months long occupation of the city, the jihadists put many of their explosives into action, destroying a number of unique historical monuments. Despite earlier hopes that the damage was quite repairable, Palmyra's current appearance is incomparable to how it looked before the IS occupation.

While the Russian engineers along with the Syrian Army have been working in the city, efforts were made by restoration experts and organizations to decide on what can be done to bring Palmyra back to its former cultural glory. Earlier this month, a Russia-drafted resolution on the role of UNESCO in restoring the devastated ancient city was unanimously approved by the organization.

[Anthea]

ISIS bomb cache in Palmyra: Russian sappers unearth depot with 12,000 explosive devices

Russian combat engineers, clearing the Syrian city of Palmyra of explosives left behind by Islamic State jihadists, have discovered and defused “one of the largest jihadist arsenals” of more than 12,000 explosive devices.

"The warehouse was well-disguised and discovered through the use of special equipment, brought by Russian engineers to Syria,” General Igor Konashenkov, Defense Ministry spokesman, told reporters. “They have removed more than 12,000 explosive objects, including large-caliber mortar mines, artillery shells, as well as anti-tank mines and anti-personnel landmines, from the terrorists' cache."

He stressed that this is "one of the largest ammunition depots from which improvised explosive devices and bombs were used by Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] for terrorist attacks not only in the province of Homs but in other areas of Syria just as well."

Sappers from the Russian Army's International Anti-mine Center were deployed to Palmyra following the Syrian government's request to help de-mine the city. Palmyra was recaptured by the Syrian Army backed by Russian forces on March 27.

According to the spokesman, the warehouse was discovered by Russian combat engineers on the outskirts of the city of Palmyra. The terrorists' arsenal was protected against accidental discovery by trip wires connected to nine demolition bombs.

"Worthy of note is that the discovered arsenal contained about a thousand electronic detonators and home-made radio-controlled detonators used for equipment of improvised explosive devices," Konashenkov said, adding that the cache was neutralized, with explosive devices cleared and taken to a safe place for disposal.

Earlier this week Russian engineers completed clearing of explosives the architectural and historical part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. With the help of Uran-6 robots and specially-trained dogs Russian engineers have cleared 234 hectares of land, 23km (14 miles) of roads and 10 architectural objects since April 2, the head of the Russian Army's engineering unit, Yury Stavitsky, said on Thursday. In total, 2,991 explosive devices, including 432 makeshift bombs, have been defused. Ninety-eight Russian servicemen have been involved in the effort.

https://www.rt.com/news/340640-explosiv ... e-palmyra/

[Anthea]

ISIS makes new advance towards Syria's Palmyra

The Islamic State (ISIS) has made advances toward the Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday mere weeks after being routed from the area by a joint Russian-Syrian military force.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group confirmed that ISIS is advancing and is less than 60 kilometers from the city.

According to the monitor, ISIS has been "able to cut the supply road between Homs and Palmyra near the Tayfur military airport after an attack launched from the east of Homs."

The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that cutting this road "came as part of ISIS's biggest assault since the army recaptured Palmyra with Russian support," on March 27.

"Daesh [ISIS] surrounds Palmyra from all angles except the southwest," he added.

Russia held an orchestra in the recaptured city last week and invited members of the world press to cover the event. The Russians helped the Syrians de-mine the city following its recapture.

Palmyra is home to a famous UNESCO world heritage site dating all the way back to the Roman-era. ISIS destroyed parts of the ancient ruins during its occupation but were not successful in destroying the entire site.

http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/11052016