HMEYMIM, December 11. /TASS/. The commander of Russia’s military group in Syria Colonel-General Sergey Surovikin has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that 32,000 militants have been killed in Syria over the past seven months.
"More than 67,000 square kilometers of Syrian territory, more than 1,000 localities, 78 oil and gas fields and two deposits of phosphate ores have been recaptured. Military planes have flown 6,956 sorties and helicopters, more than 7,000 sorties. More than 32,000 militants, 394 tanks and more than 12,000 pieces of other military equipment were eliminated," Surovikin said about the operation that lasted for the past 227 days.
Surovikin declared the beginning of military pullout from Syria.
"Upon completion of the operation to defeat the Islamic State (terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) in Syrian territory the military contingent was ordered and has already begun to withdraw forces, including 25 aircraft (23 different planes and two Ka-52 helicopters) and military personnel - the military police force, the commando unit, the field hospital and the mine-clearing center," he said. "The remaining force will be able to cope with its tasks as effectively."