Syrian military

The Kremlin has announced that the Syrian military, backed by the Russian airstrikes, has completed its operation to liberate the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS. A British-based war monitor said that the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militia advanced inside Palmyra on Thursday as ISIS withdrew completely. The Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed about the good news from Syria from Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Fortifications on the outskirts of the city are being erected to prevent any counter-offensive by the terrorist group.

The U.S. has imposed new sanctions against the Syrian military, 18 government officials and a tech company, just days before the President-elect Donald Trump is due to take office. The reason cited was “in response to the use of chemical weapons” by the Syrian government, despite no solid evidence being provided.