Syria's war-battered pound hit by Russian withdrawal

(Reuters) - Battered by war which has inflicted incalculable damage on industry, infrastructure and economy, Syria's currency hit new lows this week after Russia said it was reducing its military support to President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian pound has fallen to 475 to the dollar on the black market, a 90 percent drop since March 18, 2011, when security forces fired on protesters in the city of Deraa, sparking an uprising which descended into civil war.