International

Daesh militants destroyed the world-famous Tetrapylon, as well as a part of a Roman theater in Palmyra, Syrian state TV reported on Friday.

Yesterday, Daesh carried out mass executions in the same theater, according to Syrian state TV.

The facade of the historical building is now completely destroyed, Syrian state TV reported adding that the full scale of the damages of the theater remains unknown.

Palmyra was the capital of the Palmyrene Empire and one of the richest cities of the Roman empire. Palmyra's monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.On January 18, the Syrian army supported by Russian warplanes launched an operation against Daesh in Palmyra: "We have received information confirmed by several sources about the transfer of a big amount of explosives to Palmyra to help Daesh terrorists destroy world historical heritage in the city," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said at a news briefing in Moscow.

In December 2016, Daesh recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in the Homs province. According to various sources, the number of terrorists that took part in the storming of the city reached 5,000 including hundreds of suicide bombers and dozens of armored vehicles.