PALMYRA (Sputnik) – Servicemen of the Syrian army have fully liberated the civilian airport east of the Syrian city of Palmyra from Daesh militants, a source on the ground told Sputnik on Friday.
"The assault detachments of the Syrian army have suppressed the last Daesh centers of resistance in the Palmyra airport. The object is under full control of the government forces," the source said.
Another source told Sputnik that the army is clearing the airport's territory from terrorists.
"An operation to clear the area is underway now," the source said.
The militants still remain in the area and return fire, the source added.
The Syrian Army regained control over Palmyra on Thursday with support of the Russian aircraft operating in Syria.
Less than a year after that the Syrian army supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces managed to liberate Palmyra. Russian specialists demined the historic center as well as residential areas of the city. Russian historians and renovators visited Palmyra in early July 2016 and prepared a report assessing the condition of the damaged sites and costs of the renovation works. However, in December 2016, the city was retaken by jihadists.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.
Moscow has been conducting a counter-terrorist campaign in Syria since September 30, 2015, at President Bashar Assad's request.
