Russia’s defence military said on Thursday it had accomplished its mission of defeating ISIS in Syria, and today there are no remaining settlements in the country under the control of the terrorist organisation.
Syria is "completely liberated" from the group, according to the military.
"The Russian armed forces' goal to defeat armed groups of ISIS terrorist organisation in Syria has been accomplished," stated senior military officer Sergei Rudskoi who is in charge of the general staff’s main operations department.
“The final stage of the defeat of the terrorists was accompanied by the unprecedented deployment of Russia’s air force,” Russia’s Rossiya 24 TV channel showed Rudskoi saying.
Russia’s military deployed in Syria will now focus on preserving ceasefires and restoring peaceful life, he added, Reuters reported.
Syrian regime forces and allied militia have cleared the last pockets held by ISIS group on the west bank of the Euphrates River, a monitor said. However, terrorists still hold areas on the east bank in the north of Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated.
"ISIS no longer has a presence on the western side of the river," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
"Its biggest presence is on the eastern side of the Euphrates, where it still holds around eight percent of Deir Ezzor province," he added.
ISIS also is present in eastern sides of the central provinces of Homs and Hama, and in the Yarmuk camp near Damascus.
