PALMYRA, Syria (AFP) — Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian air support drove Islamic State out of Palmyra on Sunday (March 27), inflicting what the army called a mortal blow to militants who seized the city last year and dynamited its ancient temples. The loss of Palmyra represents one of the biggest setbacks for the ultra-hardline Islamist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq. The army […]