Watch | Islamic State faces biggest defeat ever as Syrian army recaptures Palmyra

The Islamic State faces its biggest defeat ever as the Syrian army recaptured Palmyra on Sunday. The militant group has taken control of the desert city in May last year.

Islamic state had declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq, and the latest mission comes as a 'mortal blow' to their establishment. The army general command said that its forces took over the city with support from Russian and Syrian air strikes, opening up the huge expanse of desert leading east to the Islamic State strongholds of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor. Drone footage now shows what is left of the ruins in Palmyra.