UNITED NATIONS, August 24. /TASS/. More than 1.5 million Syrian refuges have returned to their homes as 96% of Syria’s territory has been liberated from terrorists thanks to the efforts of the Syrian army backed by the Russian taskforce, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Thursday.

"More than 1,400 populated localities in Syria have been liberated from terrorists and more than 96% of its territory has come under control of government troops and militias thanks to the support from the Russian armed forces," he said at a United Nations Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and stability coming from terrorism.

"As a result, more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees have been able to return to their homeland," he stressed.

"It is not ruled out that the number of terrorist attacks may increase, first of all, in the Idlib zone," the Russian diplomat warned. "Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia -TASS) members stop at nothing, seeking to use minors, even children under 12, to commit terror attacks."

Last week, Russian president’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin visited Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to discuss the problem of Syrian refugees. After the visit, Lavrentyev told TASS that the Russian side had invited Turkey to organize regular work to promote the process of the return of Syrian refugees to the places of their permanent residence.