The raid, carried out on Saturday by U.S. forces, killed Abu Sayyaf, a senior commander. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says three other leaders were killed in ground and air operations.
The city is on UNESCO's World Heritage list and has been badly affected by the four-year civil war. The latest threat to Palmyra is posed by fighting between government troops and ISIS.
After four years of ebbs and flows in Syria's civil war, rebel fighters are pushing back the president's forces. He's having trouble replacing soldiers. And his allies may be providing less support.
More migrants are leaving from chaotic Libya in a bid to reach Europe. The overcrowded boats are at risk of sinking, and some do. A Syrian man tells of the treacherous journey with his young son.
Many of Syria's minorities have tried to lie low and avoid direct involvement in the country's civil war. But they frequently get caught in the crossfire, with no protector to turn to.
The self-declared Islamic State and al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate, al-Nusra Front, appear to have cooperated on an assault to capture the camp earlier this week.
U.S. defense and intelligence officials tell NPR that the list appears to have been derived from publicly available sources and not a breach of a government server.
The Syrian government said it shot down the drone. A Pentagon official said though it wasn't clear that had happened, the claim was being investigated.