ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — At least 25 airstrikes were carried out Friday by Syrian military warplanes on the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra, killing 26 people, including 12 ISIS fighters, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The attack is considered one of the most intense government bombardments of Palmyra, the observatory said.
On Thursday, at least 12 airstrikes were also carried out by Syrian jets on the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa.
Recently, the Syrian military started using new types of air and ground weapons supplied by Russia, highlighting the growth of Russian support to Damascus that is alarming the United States, Syrian military sources told Reuters on Thursday.
On Thursday, the Russian government announced that the purpose of the military support is to participate in the fight against terrorism.
ISIS seized Palmyra last May and since then has destroyed several temples, historic buildings and shrines. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back 2,000 years.
Syria’s civil war, now in its fifth year, has resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people and millions of others being displaced.
