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ISIS militants stormed the Syrian city of Palmyra Wednesday, seizing it from government forces in fierce fighting as Syria’s antiquities chief called on the world to save its ancient monuments, The Daily Star reports.

Syrian state television said late Wednesday that the jihadis were entering the famous antiquities area to the southwest of the modern city of Tadmur.

The capture of Palmyra is the first time the Al-Qaeda offshoot has taken control of a city directly from the Syrian army and allied forces, which have already lost ground in the northwest and south to other insurgent groups in recent weeks.

The central city is built alongside the remains of an oasis civilization whose colonnaded streets, temple and theater have stood for nearly 2,000 years.

“Praise God, [Palmyra] has been liberated,” an ISIS fighter said, speaking by Internet from the area. He said ISIS was in control of a hospital in the city which Syrian forces had used as a base before withdrawing.