The
Russian General Staff has declared the liberation of Syria from
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), stating that all territories
previously under terrorist control were liberated in the final push
by the Syrian Army.
“All
terrorist units of ISIS on Syrian soil have been destroyed, and the
territory is liberated,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff General
Valery Gerasimov said.
“Therefore,
as of today, there’s no territory controlled by ISIS in Syria,”
he added. Gerasimov made the announcement during an annual briefing
for foreign military attachés.
After
being briefed on the successful military operation on both banks of
the Euphrates River in Syria by Russian Defense Minister Sergey
Shoigu, President Vladimir Putin said that the political process and
organization of the Syrian people’s congress in Sochi, agreed upon
by Russia, Iran, and Turkey last month, must now become the focus.
Among other goals, Putin named the drafting of a new constitution,
and, eventually, parliamentary and presidential elections.
“Naturally,
there might be some spots of resistance, but the military work has
been largely completed in the area and at the time. Completed with a
full victory, I repeat, with a victory and defeat of the terrorists,”
Russian leader said.
The
peace process, however, will be “a very big and lengthy job,”
Putin cautioned. For this to happen though, the bloodshed in Syria
must stop completely, he said. Securing the recent achievements and
reinforcing the fragile de-escalation zones should be the first steps
to that end, Russia’s president added.
Russia
began providing support to Syria following an official request from
Damascus in 2015 to prevent the terrorists from overrunning the
country completely. Russia’s help allowed the Syrian Arab Army to
turn the tide and liberate large areas of the country previously
occupied by the jihadists. Smashing the blockade of Deir ez-Zor, an
IS stronghold in eastern Syria, represented a turning point in this
year’s campaign against the terrorists, ultimately leading to their
demise.
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