MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The Syrian army has regained the communities of Tias and El Beida and made a larger part of the way towards Palmyra, the chief of the Russian General Staff’s main operations directorate, Lieutenant-General Sergey Rudskoy told a news briefing on Tuesday.

"On the way to Palmyra Russian air group-supported Syrian army has considerably expanded the area under its control near Tyas. A total of 783 square kilometers has been retaken from the terrorists. The Syrian army has moved 25 kilometers eastwards to have taken El-Beida.

"The commanding heights along the road have been put under control. A greater part of the way towards Palmyra has been covered," Rudskoy said.