Syria’s armed forces say they have driven Isis militants out of Palmyra, recapturing the city of Roman ruins as part of a regional push that is putting pressure on the jihadis across Syria and Iraq.
Under the cover of Russian air strikes, Syria’s military fought alongside foreign Shia militia fighters, including the Lebanese force Hizbollah, to retake the city in a three-week offensive that is a symbolic victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria’s army command said Palmyra would be its base to launch further operations against Isis in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor and the northern city of Raqqa, the jihadi forces’ de facto capital.