Russian helicopters pounded terrorist positions around the ancient city of Palmyra on Tuesday as Syrian troops pressed a ground advance, a monitoring group said.
"Russian helicopters and warplanes, that are likely Russian, are bombarding "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorist group positions near Palmyra," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"These strikes have allowed regime troops to advance, and they are now four kilometers south and west of Palmyra," he told AFP.