MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. The Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out more than 23,000 sorties and about 77,000 strikes on terrorists since the beginning of the military operation in Syria, Sergey Rudskoi, Head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate, Colonel-General Sergey Rudskoi, said on Wednesday.

"The Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out more than 23,000 sorties and about 77,000 strikes since the beginning of the military operation," Rudskoi said at the Moscow Conference on International Security. 

He noted that a comparative analysis of the operations by the Russian Aerospace Forces and the international coalition in Syria shows that, despite having fewer aircraft, Russia has carried out three times more sorties and conducted four times more missile and bombing raids.

Russian Special Forces play a key role in eliminating terrorists’ chieftains in Syria, the Russian general has added:

"They play a key role in eliminating the chieftains of terrorists in Syria." 

The Syrian government troops are now expanding the security area around Palmyra and continuing their offensive in the eastern direction, according to the general.

Syrian Army vs terrorists 

Syrian government troops supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed this year a major grouping of Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) north of Aleppo: 

"This year a major grouping of Islamic State has been destroyed north of Aleppo. Government troops continue successful advance in the northeast of Aleppo province," Rudskoi said. 

The Syrian Army has eliminated over 7,000 militants out of the 10,000-member group active near the city of Hama. According to Russia's General Staff, terrorists from the Jebhat al-Nusra organization (outlawed in Russia) made up the bulk of the 10,000-member militant group. They managed to seize a number of settlements and approach Hama. However, they have been forced to retreat 15 kilometers from the city.

"More than 7,000 militants have been eliminated," the Russian general said.