Russia says Syrian government forces have seized thousands of square kilometres from ISIL in the centre of the country.
The Syrian government has increased the size of the territory under its control by two-and-a-half times in just two months, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday, as Syrian forces backed by regional allies and the Russian air force seized thousands of square kilometres from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group in the centre of the country.
Syrian government forces supported by Iranian-organised armed groups and the Russian air force have recaptured much of the country's central Homs province from ISIL in 2017.