He has been credited most recently with the defeat of IS in much of eastern Syria, including the months-long battle for the city of Deir el-Zour. He said rebels are stuck in a two-front battle with government forces and remaining pockets of Islamic State militants. He said the Russian airstrikes have exacted a heavy toll.Another opposition activist based in Hama province, Mohammed al-Ali, said the Russians and the Syrian government are "carpet bombing'' villages before pushing into them. The main road to the capital remained perilous, however, with insurgents attacking it from the west and IS from the east. "The regime wants to take the eastern part of Idlib province,'' said the Observatory's chief, Rami Abdurrahman.

Source: Economic Times January 07, 2018 14:03 UTC