12 September, 2017
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the Syrian conflict and issues of bilateral military cooperation with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Russian Defense Ministry said, commenting on the minister's visit to Damascus. The two sides discussed military cooperation and joint actions against jihadists in Syria. Russian air strikes in Syria destroyed almost 180 facilities of terrorists' infrastructures near Akerbat on Monday to support advancing Syrian government troops, the Russian military group's chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Aleksandr Lapin, told the media on Tuesday.
According to the Syrian president, the meeting emphasised "the importance of the Astana process", with a new round of peace talks scheduled on Thursday and Friday aiming to strengthen de-escalation zones meant to allow the establishment of a lasting ceasefire in Syria.
Lieutenant General Aleksandr Lapin, Russia's chief of staff in Syria, told reporters at the Khmeimim Air Base that Syria's forces will now have to liberate the remaining 15 percent, around 27,000 square kilometers.
Last week Syrian troops, backed by Russian airstrikes, broke the siege of two enclaves in and around Deir Ezzor, which had been encircled by jihadists for almost three years.
In March 2016, President Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces because they had reached all of the stated goals that had been set in the country.
"On Monday alone Russian planes flew more than 50 sorties near Akerbat to wipe out almost 180 terrorist targets - terrorists' pockets of resistance and strongholds, underground shelters, command centers, terrorists groups, artillery positions and ammunition depots and fuel and lubricants warehouses", Lapin said.
