SYRIAN troops swept the newly liberated city of Palmyra for Islamic State (Isis) boobytraps yesterday as the extent of harm to its ancient treasures became apparent.

Russian head of general staff Valery Gerasimov said his country would send engineers and bomb-disposal robots to help de-mining efforts at the Unesco world heritage site.

Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said it would take five years to repair the damage wreaked by the Isis philistines, but “we were expecting the worst,” he said. “But the landscape, in general, is in good shape.”

Mr Abdulkarim said he would consult the United Nations on rebuilding the destroyed Temple of Bel, the shrine of Baal Shamin and Lion of Al-Lat (the Roman goddess Athena).

“If we have Unesco’s approval, we will need five years to restore the structures damaged or destroyed by Isis,” he said.

Syrian envoy to the UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva Bashar al-Jaafari said on Sunday evening that the victory had given new impetus to the negotiations. He said the city’s liberation “left an important psychological impact on our enemies and adversaries in Geneva.”

The Syrian army said 110 of its soldiers and allied militia had died in the savage fighting, while 450 Isis militants were killed.

The victory opens the way to liberating the eastern city of Deir Ezzor — where 200,000 inhabitants have been besieged by Isis for over two years — and advancing on the Isis stronghold of Raqqa from the south.

Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Sunday to congratulate him on the victory against the extremists who captured Palmyra last May after two weeks of heavy fighting.

Western praise has been muted though, with UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon and London Mayor Boris Johnson the only big names welcoming the victory over Isis, which struck at the Belgian capital Brussels last week.

Mr Ban said on Sunday he was “encouraged” that Palmyra was out of extremist hands and that the Syrian government “is now able to preserve and protect this human common cultural asset.”

A replica of the destroyed Temple of Bel’s gateway is to be raised in Trafalgar Square next month in an act of solidarity with Palmyra.