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DAMASCUS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Syria's pro-government National Defense Forces (NDF) withdrew Wednesday from the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria following large-scale offensive by the Islamic State (IS) group, according to the state-run Al-Ekhhariya TV reported.
The withdrawal of the NDF came after these pro-government forces secured the evacuation of the residents of Palmyra, the report said, adding that the IS brought in reinforcement to storm the ancient part of the city, where the archeological sites are located.
Meanwhile, the oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the IS militants have almost controlled the entire city of Palmyra in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.
The UK-based watchdog group, which relies on a network of activists on ground, said the situation of the government forces at the central prison of Palmyra and the Badiyeh intelligence headquarters is still murky amid reports that the Syrian forces were bracing to withdraw.
The capture of the Palmyra came following days of intense battles, according to the Observatory.
Meanwhile, the general director of the Syrian antiquities and museums Mamoun Abdulkarim told Xinhua that the government forces moved all of the ancient moveable items from Palmyra into safe areas. He, however, expressed deep sorrow over the fate of the old temples and monuments that cannot be moved.
The IS unleashed their offensive against Palmyra on May 13, and captured towns of Sukhneh and Amiriyeh along with the oil fields of al-Hail and Arak.
The Syrian army sent back-up forces to defend Palmyra and managed to push the IS militants out of areas before the IS made progress on Wednesday.
Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.
From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences, according to the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Syria has many prehistoric, Greek, Byzantine and Islamic heritages. Before the crisis, Syria had attracted many multinational archaeological missions coming for searching new clues of historical facts on the development of civilizations.
The UNESCO has listed several Syrian sites on the World Heritage List, including the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo, al-Madhiq castle, the Krak des Chevaliers, the ancient city of Bosra and Palmyra and the ancient villages in northern Syria.
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