Ancient Palmyra
Ancient PalmyraReuters

The Syrian army on Friday recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State (ISIS) group, nearly a year after the jihadists overran the ancient city, state television said, citing a military source.

"Our armed forces, in coordination with the popular defense forces, have taken control of the ancient Palmyra citadel after inflicting many losses in the ranks of the terrorist group Daesh," the report said, using the Arabic name for ISIS.

On Thursday, Syrian troops backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia entered Palmyra , after launching a desert offensive early this month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

ISIS overran Palmyra, known as the "Pearl of the Desert", last May and it has since blown up UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years.

ISIS has used Palmyra's grand amphitheatre for a massacre in which child members of the group killed 25 Syrian soldiers, execution-style, in front of residents.

It also beheaded Palmyra's 82-year-old former antiquities director in August.

AFP contributed to this report.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)