At least 26 fighters allied with the Assad government were killed in battles with Daesh near the Syrian city of Palmyra on Monday as Syrian forces intensified efforts to recapture the ancient city, AFP reported.
"ISIS [Daesh] thwarted an offensive by Syrian regime loyalists as they pressed an advance some four kilometers (two and a half miles) from Palmyra, and at least 26 fighters were killed," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.
"Warplanes believed to be Russian meanwhile struck parts of Palmyra city and its surroundings in the east of Homs province, as well as Al-Qaryatain in the southeast."
Daesh seized Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in May of last year and have destroyed several of the famed ruins in the city. Satellite images confirmed that the Temple of Bel had been demolished as part of Daesh's efforts to destroy pre-Islamic monuments.
According to the Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman, progress in recapturing the city has been "slow," despite increased efforts by the regime, backed by Russian airstrikes.
