PALMYRA WATCH: Russians building army base at Syria’s Palmyra site: archaeologist (AP). Apparently the base is located just inside the protected no-build archaeological zone and the construction is proceeding without permission. At the same time, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, emphasized that fighting with ISIS is still going on nearby and the presence of the Russian and Syrian troops in Palmyra is needed. Maybe if they ask the Russians very nicely to relocate a little?
Background on Palmyra is here with many links.
