Russia: Putin orders de-mining of liberated Palmyra

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered the de-mining and clearance of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, during a meeting with senior military officials in the town of Nizhny Novgorod.
"I want to congratulate our soldiers who have made a significant contribution to the fight against terrorism," said Putin, referring to the recapture of Palmyra by the Syrian army from so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants over a weekend of fierce fighting. Syrian military forces were supported by Russian air strikes in their re-taking of the town, which was lost to IS in May 2015.
Confirming that he had been in contact with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as UNESCO officials, Putin ordered the "clearance" and removal of mines from the historic city. After its capture by ISIS, militants destroyed a number of priceless ancient artifacts and historic sites in Palmyra.
"In a telephone conversation with the UNESCO Director-General and then the Syrian President, we agreed that Russia will provide support for the clearance of Palmyra in general, and most important, of historical artifacts," explained Putin.