Victory over ISIS in Syria is close

Syria’s Aleppo Governorate has been fully liberated from ISIS terrorists (the group outlawed in Russia), the chief of the main operations department of Russia’s General Staff, Sergey Rudskoy, said.

"The Syrian government troops, supported by the Russian Aerospace force, have achieved significant success, inflicting much damage on a large armed unit of the ISIS terror group in central Syria," he said.

"A total of 50 settlements and an area of more than 2,700 square kilometers have been cleared of militants," the Russian general added, speaking about the liberation of the Aleppo Governorate.

Rudskoy noted that Syria’s army is advancing towards Deir ez-Zor from three directions.

"At present, the Syrian government forces, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, are rapidly advancing towards Deir ez-Zor from three directions. The lodgement around this city is the last terrorist stronghold on Syrian soil," the general stressed.

According to Rudskoy, the Syrian army is advancing on positions of ISIS in Syrian Raqqa province at a speed of more than 30 kilometers a day. "Units of ISIS in this area are fully defeated. The Syrian army is advancing at a speed of 30-40 or more kilometers a day," Rudskoy noted.

Syrian government troops will liberate the city of Akerbat in the near future, they encircled gunmen east of Itriya, Rudskoy said.

"Following government forces’ strike, a large group of ISIS terrorists has been encircled near the city of Akerbat. Offensive operations continue to tighten the encirclement. The city of Akerbat will be liberated shortly. Militants have also been encircled east of Itriya," Rudskoy said.

According to him, that was possible thanks to swift offensive operations by General Hasan Sukhel’s units supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces. "The Syrian army is advancing at a rate of 30-40 kilometers per day or more. Following the Syrian army’s operations, the cities of El-Kom, Bir Kdem, the Manbija oilfield have been liberated, the offensive against Et-Teibe continues thus creating another encirclement ring," he noted.

He added that the Syrian government forces grouping operating east of Palmyra has seized the strategically important inhabited community of al-Sukhnah and is developing an offensive against Deir ez-Zor. "The key objective is to destroy the last terrorist stronghold in the Deir ez-Zor area," Rudskoy stressed.

The general added that Russia’s planes in Syria have flown 316 sorties over the past five days to deal 819 strikes on terrorists.