BEIRUT - Syria’s government declared Sunday that its forces had seized Palmyra from the Islamic State, driving the militants out of the archaeologically significant city in a blow to the extremist group.
Retaking the desert city, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site known for its Roman-era ruins, is a substantial victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad. His forces appear to have seized the upper hand in a devastating civil war that has turned into a dangerous proxy conflict.
It also is a victory for Russia’s military involvement in Syria, an intervention that began in September and has inflicted heavy damage on rebel groups and bolstered Assad, an ally. Palmyra’s capture helps clear a path for pro-government forces to possibly push on to Raqqa, a city in eastern Syria that is the Islamic State’s self-declared capital.
“The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism,” state television quoted Assad as saying during a meeting with a French delegation, the Reuters news agency reported.
An American airlines pilot was arrested on the tarmac Saturday as shocked passengers looked on after he failed a breathalyzer test at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Flight 736, scheduled to leave Detroit about 7 a.m. en route to Philadelphia, was immediately canceled, according to ABC affiliate WXYZ.
A Transportation Security Agent was the first person to spot the pilot acting suspiciously, the station reported. Minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off, airport police were called.
Michael Conway, director of public affairs at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, told ABC News that the pilot failed an initial field breathalyzer. After being arrested, he underwent a second test, which he also failed.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of “blind” terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied welcome as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.
Tens of thousands of people patiently endured long lines, backpack inspections and metal-detecting checks Sunday to enter St. Peter’s Square. Under a brilliant sun, they listened to Francis deliver the traditional noon Easter speech from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
To their delight, Francis completed a whirl through the square, made colorful with sprays of tulips and other spring flowers, in his open-topped pope-mobile after celebrating Mass on the steps of the basilica. He leaned over barriers to shake hands, as the vehicle ventured past the Vatican’s confines, with his bodyguards jogging alongside on the boulevard.
Francis said, for the faithful, Jesus who rose after death by crucifixion “triumphed over evil and sin.” He expressed hope that “will draw us closer to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence.”
Associated Press & Washington Post
