A top Russian general now claims that his country's airstrikes have hit the militants in Syria so hard that more than 600 of them are on the run from territory they previously held, Fox news has reported. Col.-Gen. Andrei Kartapolo, a prominent figure in the country's general staff, went on to add that the estimated 600 militants, who were running away in "panic", were now heading for Europe. However, he didn't divulge how the Russians were able to know the intended destinations of these militants.
Kartapolo's comments come when the Syrian war, which has been described as the "worst humanitarian crisis of our generation," is entering its fifth year, with more than 250,000 people killed and millions displaced. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has justified the Russian airstrikes against what he called "terrorists," saying that there were great chances for success with the entry of Moscow in the fray. "It must succeed [the Russian air campaign] or we are facing the destruction of a whole region, and not a country or two," said Assad. "The chances for success are large, not small."
A top terror analyst has predicted that the Russian airstrikes, together with those conducted by the U.S. and its allies, have greatly weakened ISIS, and that the group could be defeated in a matter of hours if the international community decided to work together, according to Express. "This mythical state will disappear in a matter of hours once the international community decides to act," said Afzal Ashraf, a terror analyst and researcher at a think tank in the U.K.
Russia has intensified its air campaign in Syria, something that has greatly reduced the potential of militants to launch any combat, according to CNN. Russia has carried out over 20 sorties targeting over 10 ISIS positions; the U.S.-led coalition has refuted these claims saying that Moscow appears to be primarily targeting groups opposing Assad.
