Russia’s Aerospace Forces and Special Operations Forces played the key role in decimating ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the battle for Palmyra, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said on Friday.

“Russian aviation and Special Operations Forces were instrumental in battering Daesh in the Palmyra area,” he said.

He noted that the operation involved advanced Ka-52 helicopters which demonstrated high efficiency in the conditions of desert and mountains.

The Syrian Army regained control over Palmyra earlier on Thursday with support of the Russian aircraft operating in Syria.

ISIL seized Palmyra, which was the capital of the Palmyrene Empire and one of the richest cities of the Roman Empire, in May 2015. Terrorists destroyed a number of historic sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Arch of Triumph, the Temple of Baalshamin and the Temple of Bel. The Takfiris also looted the national museum and the famous Palmyra’s necropolis.

Source: Sputnik