Syria's Palmyra can be restored 'in five years'

Syria's antiquities chief said on Monday that his department would need five years to restore the ancient ruins of Palmyra damaged by the "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorist group.

"If we have UNESCO's approval, we will need five years to restore the structures damaged or destroyed by ISIS," Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP. "We have the qualified staff, the knowledge and the research. With UNESCO's approval, we can start the work in a year's time."