Islamic State retakes ancient Syrian city of Palmyra

A Syrian soldier in Palmyra in May 2016.
(Image credit: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images)

After launching an offensive earlier in the week, Islamic State militants recaptured the city of Palmyra, Syria, on Sunday.

ISIS entered Palmyra on Saturday, and fighters were forced to withdraw to orchards on the outskirts of the city after being targeted by Russian airstrikes early Sunday; the Russian Defense Ministry says it carried out 64 strikes, killing more than 300 militants. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said government forces are regrouping outside of the ancient city, which was held by ISIS from May 2015 to March of this year.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.