(VOVworld) – More than 150 cities and villages were liberated from terrorists in Syria in late December - early January thanks to Russian air strikes, Lieutenant General Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the main operations department of the Russian General Staff, said on Monday.

Russia's Tu-95 strategic bomber carries out an airstrike on IS targets in Syria. (Photo: TASS)

Rudskoy said that in December 2015, militants were driven from 134 cities and towns and from 19 settlements more in the first days of the new year. He added the biggest success has been achieved in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, Homs, and Raqqah. The general added that the Syrian army regained control over 6 key positions in Lattakia. He said the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is conducting attacks in the north and east.