Syrian troops complete defeat of IS terrorists: Russian military

MOSCOW, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Syrian troops supported by Russian servicemen have completed the destruction of Islamic State (IS) terrorists in the war-torn country, a senior Russian military officer announced Thursday.

"Today, there is not a single settlement or district left under IS control. The territory of Syria is completely liberated from IS militants," Sergei Rudskoy, chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said at a briefing.

In the last five days, the Syrian-Russian joint forces killed more than 550 terrorists on the western banks of the Euphrates River, where the IS strongholds were once located, he said.

According to Rudskoy, the use of Russian warplanes, including strategic bombers, in the final stage of the Syrian liberation was "unprecedented."

The Syrian troops are now demining the settlements previously occupied by IS terrorists.

With the defeat of IS, the Russian military will now concentrate on helping the Syrians restore a peaceful life and ensure that all parties comply with the agreements on the cessation of hostilities.

However, Rudskoy did not rule out that vestigial IS sabotage groups could emerge in the liberated territory.

"In this case, they will be destroyed by the government troops, which have mobile units specially trained for the purpose," he said. Enditem