Mayar Haidar, Baladi News, Homs
Assad's regime forces and local and foreign sectarian militias supporters are setting civilians' houses on fire in the city of Palmyra in the Eastern countryside of Homs, after expelling ISIS and seizing control over it in the 27th of last March under Russian air cover.
Assad's forces burnt 50% of the city's houses "to take revenge of the people under the pretext of sympathizing with ISIS", according to what "SMART" news agency reported from sources in the city, as the regime forces burnt a family in their house after refusing to leave.
Sources said that civilians who returned to Palmyra are not affiliated to any party, and their only goal is to stay in the city". Regarding the ruins of Palmyra, sources said that regime forces had destroyed part of the ruins before ISIS seized control over the city, and worked hand in hand with the latter on excavating and smuggling the ruins.
Assad's regime forces controlled the city of Palmyra at the end of last March, after the withdrawal of ISIS towards areas on the road connecting Palmyra and Deir Al Zor.
The city of Palmyra dates back to more than two thousand years and it's on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural «UNESCO» of World Heritage. The contents of the museum remained relatively away from acts of sabotage except for some of the statues that ISIS destroyed their heads during the first nine months of its control over the city.
Part of the museum has been damaged by the bombing with no archeologists left to prevent regime forces from carrying out acts of looting. Regime forces, on the other hand, accused ISIS of plundering, especially that archeologists do not have any list of the museum contents, however, Assad's regime and his militia did not hesitate to steal and transport a lot of them to the coastal cities.
