YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. The Syrian army, backed by Russia’s Aerospace Forces, completely destroyed militants of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra groups and regained control over the As-Suwayda, the Daraa and the Quneitra Governorates, chief of the Russian General Staff’s main operations directorate, Colonel-General Sergey Rudskoi, said, TASS reported.

According to the general, the IS and al-Nusra units, hiding under the guise of the moderate opposition, controlled more than 55% of the southern de-escalation zone. They conducted combat actions jointly with the moderate opposition to expand their control of territories. Meanwhile, civilians, who were trapped in this situation, suffered the shortage of food, medicines and drinking water, he noted.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan