MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. More than 1,400 residential areas in Syria were freed from militant extremists of the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia) during the period of Russia’s participation in the fighting, Head of the Russian National Defense Management Center Colonel General, Mikhail Mizintsev, said on Tuesday.

One year ago on this day, the Russian armed forces successfully completed its operation of mopping up terror groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including thousands of IS fighters. Only a few ragtag US-backed groups survived in the Trans-Euphrates region and near Al-Tanf. The remainders of the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia) were blocked in the Idlib de-escalation zone.

"In total, 1,411 settlements were liberated during the operation with Syrian government troops and militia having retaken more than 96.5% of the country’s territory," Mizintsev told a joint meeting of the interdepartmental coordination of the Russian and Syrian headquarters for the return of refugees.

He also noted that the completion of the operation has made it possible to significantly reduce the Russian Air Force group in Syria and start restoring peace there.

"In accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a political settlement in Syria, a constitutional committee with the participation of the opposition and representatives of Syria’s entire multinational civil society is being shaped," Mizintsev stressed.