Damascus, with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria, established control over the territories of the provinces of Al-Suwayda, Daraa and Quneitra, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said at a briefing.

“During the operation, Syria’s Armed Forces, supported by Russia’s Aerospace Forces, completely destroyed Daesh and Jebhat al-Nusra gangs and established control over the territory of the Suwayda, Daraa and Quneitra provinces,” Rudskoy said, referring to ISIL and Nusra Front terrorist groups.

He said the Syrian troops destroyed the last ISIL stronghold in the southwest of Quneitra on Wednesday.

Rudskoy said as a result of the operation in Syria’s southwest, 3,332 square kilometers were liberated, with Damascus regaining control over 146 settlements.

He said military operations in southwestern Syria were conducted only against the ISIL and Nusra Front terrorists.

Meanwhile, Rudskoy said terrorists are still hiding in Rukban refugee camp near al-Tanf area, adding that 60,000 people are still in precarious conditions.

In areas adjacent to the al-Tanf zone, which remains under the control of US troops, there has been an increase in Daesh fighters, who commit terrorist acts in the settlements of the provinces of As Suwayda and Rif Damascus, and are also trying to organize sorties in the direction of Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor, Rudskoy said.

The Russian colonel called on the US to provide as soon as possible humanitarian access to Rukban refugee camp, to close military base in al-Tanf.

The United States occupies a 34-mile zone around its military base in Al-Tanf, where it trains and equips armed Syrian opposition forces. The Rukban refugee camp is located some 11 miles south of Al-Tanf and inside the US-controlled zone on the Syrian-Jordanian border.

Source: Sputnik