(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Islamic State fighters in Syria have entered the ancient ruins of Palmyra after taking complete control of the central city, but there are no reports so far of any destruction of antiquities, a group monitoring the war said on Thursday.
The offshoot of al Qaeda has taken control of the city's military air base and prison after storming them on Wednesday, Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said by telephone.
Islamic State said in a statement posted by followers on Twitter that it was in full charge of the city, including the military installations, and that the retreating pro-government forces had left behind a large number of their dead.
Clashes since Wednesday had killed at least 100 pro-government fighters, said Abdulrahman, who bases his information on a network of sources on the ground.
It is the first time Islamic State has taken control of a city directly from the Syrian military and allied forces.
The ultra-hardline group has destroyed antiquities and ancient monuments in neighbouring Iraq and there are fears it might now devastate Palmyra, one of the most important ancient World Heritage sites in the Middle East.
The major assault on the city, which started a week ago, is part of a westward advance by Islamic State that is adding to pressures on the overstretched army and pro-government militia, which have also recently lost ground in the northwest and south.
The fall of Palmyra comes just days after the Islamic State seized Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province in neighbouring Iraq, dealing a significant blow to US efforts to defeat the radical group.
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