The Syrian troops and the jihadi fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have fought for days in the historic city of Palmyra. After the fierce battle which has been fought, senior officials talking on behalf of Damascus have announced on Sunday that the fighters of the Islamic State have finally withdrawn from Palmyra. An even if Syria claims victory over ISIL in this battle, unfortunately this may not yet mean that the self proclaimed caliphate has lost the war.
It seems like the Syrian troops have fought fiercely to defeat the jihadi enemy. The fighters of the Islamic State have been reported running away from the city and into the desert. One of the most important parts of the Syrian military action was the air strikes, which have caused the withdrawal of the Islamic State`s soldiers. The most recent information on the battle of Palmyra says that dozens of the Daesh fighters were killed during the military clash.
The battle of Palmyra between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the Syrian troops has been signaled all over the world wide web. Social media promoted a video in which viewers could see an Islamic State fighter raising a black ISIL flag on the top of a building, whose location was identified as the northern part of the disputed city.
In the northeastern part of Palmyra, a city also known as Tadmur, the jihadi fighters have seized a gas field. According to SANA, which is the Syrian news agency, the troops of the Syrian state have hindered Islamic State troops from seizing a hilltop located in the southwestern part of the citadel.
The southwestern part of Palmyra is home to numerous historic buildings. Since 2013, Palmyra has been featured on the list of endangered sites of the UNESCO heritage. In Palmyra there can be found numerous ruins that remind of the glory of one of the most famous cultural centers in ancient times.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is known for their terrible actions of destroying ancient temples, buildings and monuments that have a relevance of a global level and are part of the legacy of the human race, that would be the reason why a global organization like UNESCO is trying to protect them.
But Palmyra was not a target to ISIL only for its cultural richness. It has a strategic position, linking Homs to Damascus, the Syrian capital.
Image Source: National Geogarphic