Story highlights Control over the city has passed from the regime to ISIS and back again a number of times

At one point, ISIS says, it started demolishing ancient ruins in the city

(CNN) Syrian government forces have recaptured the city of Palmyra and surrounding areas from ISIS, according to the country's general command, cited by state news agency SANA.

Army units "in cooperation with the allied and backing forces" inflicted heavy losses on ISIS forces in operations supported by Syrian and Russian air forces, the report said.

Palmyra was seized from regime forces by ISIS in December after hundreds of the jihadist group's militants launched a coordinated attack in and around the city.

Palmyra is seen as strategically important to both sides in Syria's more than five year civil war.

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