The Armenian Genocide memorial in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate has been liberated by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) after being occupied by Islamic State forces for several years, Al-Masdar News reports.
Prior to its liberation, the memorial had been badly damaged by various groups, including the Islamic State, the source says.
While no immediate plans have been announced by the Syrian government to fix the memorial, its restoration will likely happen during the reconstruction of Deir ez-Zor.
Pictures of the memorial released by the Syrian army reveal the extent of damage that the conflict has caused over the years.
The memorial complex served as church, museum, monument, archive centre and exhibition. It was under the direct administration of the Armenian Prelacy, Diocese of Aleppo. Every year, on 24 April, tens of thousands of Armenian pilgrims from all over the world visited the Der Zor complex to commemorate the genocide victims, with the presence of their religious leaders.
On September 21, 2014, the memorial complex was blown up, reportedly by IS members.