Ruthless Vladimir Putin helps Syrian forces SEIZE ancient Palmyra Castle from evil ISIS

RUSSIAN forces helped the Syrian army reclaim the ancient Palmyra Castle from the tentacles of the savage Islamic State.

Just days after the vile Brussels attack, a joint military operation saw the ancient citadel liberated from ISIS militants – who were forced to retreat during the assault.

The heinous jihadi cult was driven out as the Syrian army, joined by popular defence groups, took control over the Syriatel hill near the castle.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said last week he was withdrawing most Russian forces after a five-month military intervention, has predicted the Syrian army will retake Palmyra soon.

Now soldiers have eradicated the remaining extremists by destroying ISIS hideouts, leaving a number of terrorists killed and others fleeing toward Palmyra, according to reports.

Syria's government lost the Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the jihadis after ISIS seized control over Palmyra last May.

The capture of the ancient hilltop citadel comes as the joint forces increase their efforts to reclaim the city of Palmyra from ISIS – also known as Daesh.

Returning control of the city of 200,000 to the Syrian government would represent a major victory for Damascus and confirm signs that the jihadi group is on its last legs.

After storming Palmyra last year, the depraved jihadis went on a series of rampages, ruthlessly destroying the historical sites in the area.

UNESCO, the UN agency that compiles a list of the world's most important cultural and natural sites, condemned the actions as a war crime.

Irina Bokova, of UNESCO, said: "I welcome the liberation of the Palmyra archeological site, martyr city inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which carries the memory of the Syrian people, and the values of cultural diversity, tolerance and openness that have made this region a cradle of civilization."

On Thursday the Syrian state media reported that Government troops had retaken three locations west of Palmyra and that troops "eliminated, to the last one" all ISIS factions in that area.

But while the Syrian troops are poised to retake Palmyra, ISIS released a video to prove it still controls the ancient city.