Russia withdraws half of its fighters from Syria

Russia has withdrawn half of its warplanes from the Hmeymim Airbase near the Syrian town of Jableh, news agencies reported a senior official saying.

Main Operations Directorate of the General staff Colonel-General Sergey Rudskoy announced at a press conference that the Russian forces had carried out four times more airstrikes than the US-led coalition against terrorist targets in Syria.

According to the Russian Sputnik news agency, Rudskoy said:

The number of terrorist units has decreased, which allowed us to withdraw almost half of the aircraft based at the Hemeymim airbase.

“Some 207 armed groups announced their commitment to ceasefire in Syria,” noting that the number of groups participating in the truce is increasing.

Rudskoy said that armed groups of Daesh and Al-Nusra Front are fighting “fiercely” as they are likely preparing for a long-term war.