Syrian government forces will liberate eastern parts of the country from ISIS by the end of this year, Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Thursday after government forces assisted by Russian airpower recaptured large swaths of territory along the west bank of Euphrates in the last few weeks, including the town of Boukamal, caliphate's last Syrian stronghold . "Syrian army units led by General Suheil al-Hassan and supported by the Russian Air Force are chasing and destroying terrorist groups in the Euphrates valley, moving forward along the river’s west bank," the Russian Defense Ministry stated.
Syrian government's recent gains and ISIS downfall have prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts, Hassan Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday in Sochi in order to discuss the future of Syria after the war. "The militants in Syria have sustained a decisive blow, and now there is a realistic chance to end the multiyear civil war," Putin stressed and urged all sides to find a political solution to the conflict.
