Things are heating up even more in Syria, as ISIS has captured the city of al-Tanf, which is the last border crossing between Iraq and Syria. In addition, ISIS controls the historic city of Palmyra that it captured a few days ago. Now, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the fall of al-Tanf means that ISIS’s travel across the region has expanded its controlled territory and it now controls over 95,000 square kilometers or nearly 37,000 square miles, and ISIS controls almost 50 percent of the country of Syria.
Besides al-Tanf and Palmyra, ISIS controls Deir al-Zour, Ragga and also controls a large portion of Hasakeh, Aleppo, Harma, and Homs, according to SOHR.
ISIS Controls Palmyra, Could Damage Historic Ruins There
ISIS took over the historic and ancient town of Palmyra earlier this week, and there are fears that the militants could travel to the historic ruins in the city and destroy or deface them, according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In the past, when ISIS controls a region, they have caused damage to other historic ruins such as those in the Assyrian city of Nimrud, as well as the Iraq Mosul Museum’s statues after ISIS controlled those regions.
Palmyra Ruins are a Historic Treasure to the World
The ruins in Palmyra are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. They attract the travel of historians and tourists who want to see or study the artwork, architecture and religious icons that are from Roman, Greek and Persian eras.
Historians say that Palmyra plays a vital role in the history of the world, as it was part of an important trade route for travel called the Silk Road that connected the Roman Empire to countries like India, Persia, and China.
The history of the city spans more than 2,000 years and historians say it would be very tragic if it was defaced or destroyed since ISIS controls it now. Palmyra is called the pearl of the desert and the ruins contain all sorts of treasures such as tombs, temples and colonnades. Prior to the conflict in Syria, over 150,000 tourists made travel there every year to see these beautiful reflections of the past.
Now that ISIS controls about half of Syrian territory, including sites like Palmyra, al-Tanf, Deir al-Zour, Ragga and others and has yet to stop its travel and fighting across the region, nothing is safe in the area.
