Palmyra has been under Daesh control since May 2015. In less than a year, the jihadist group, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United States, has already destroyed most of the city's ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The organization describes them as "the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world."
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting numerous opposition factions and jihadist groups. Unlike many of the militants, which have limited themselves to targeting the government and sometimes civilians, Daesh has sought to eradicate the country's historical treasures as well.
