Russia says Islamic State controls only 5% of Syria's territory.
The international effort to reduce the territories controlled by the Islamic State has worked; Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated on Tuesday (24) that the part of Syrian territory under the control of Daesh terrorists (an organization banned in Russia and several other countries) is less than 5%; "When the Russian Aerospace Forces began the operation in the Arab country, the terrorists controlled more than 70% of the territory," he stated.
247 - Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, stated this Tuesday (24) that the part of Syrian territory that is under the control of Daesh terrorists (an organization banned in Russia and several other countries) is less than 5%.
"Today, Daesh controls less than 5% [of Syrian territory]. When the Russian Aerospace Forces began their operation in the Arab country, the terrorists controlled more than 70% of the territory," Shoigu stated during a meeting of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and dialogue partners.
According to him, during these two years the Russian air force eliminated 948 training camps, 666 factories and maintenance workshops, as well as 1.500 units of military equipment from the terrorists.
"998 cities and towns have been liberated. In total, the liberated territory is 503.223 square kilometers. Most of the terrorists have been eliminated. The recovery of peaceful life in the country has begun. Since 2015, when the Russian Aerospace Forces operation began, 1.12 million people have returned home. In 2017, that number was 660," Shoigu noted.
According to him, as a result of the work of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, 2.500 villages across the country have already joined the reconciliation process.