© Valery Sharifulin/TASSA syrian army soldier.
"Certain field commanders are starting getting in touch with Syrian troops units with suggestions on local truces and holding talks," Kartapolov told journalists.
According to the officer the main forces of the militants in Syria have lost the fighting capacity, their logistics system has been destroyed.
"As a result of the Russian airstrikes, the main forces of the terrorist groups, comprising the best-trained fighters, have lost their fighting capacity, the armed groups' system of control and supply has been disrupted. Terrorists are experiencing an acute shortage of ammunition, weapons and fuel," Kartapolov said.Kartapolov pointed out that militants are fleeing from Syria to Turkey and Jordan.
Terrorists in Syria mobilize teenagers and create barrier squads
The officer said that terrorists in Syria are creating barrier squads to stop newly mobilized recruits, some of whom are teenagers, from deserting the frontline.
"They are drafting teenagers older than 12 years old as part of a mobilization campaign. However, these conscripts are massively dropping weapons and leaving their positions out of fear," Kartapolov stressed.Kartapolov also pledged Islamic State militants in Syria are using the local population as "live shields" to protect themselves from the Syrian army.
"We know that separate terrorist chieftains in Aleppo province are creating barrier squads out of most devoted militants to prevent the conscripts from deserting their positions," the general said.
"The fact that the militants often using local residents as "live shields" to cover themselves from fire are preventing (the Syrian army) from mounting the offensive. That was the case when the army was liberating the Khan Tuman populated locality," Kartapolov said.Militants stopped shelling Damascus after start of Syrian offensive
According to the Russian general, militants of the Islamic State stopped shelling Damascus after the beginning of the Syrian troops' offensive.
"In spite of a staunch resistance put up by the militants, the ring of encirclement around them is getting tighter," Gen Kartapolov said. "The boldest result of this operation is a lull in the shelling of the city, the first one over a long enough period of time."The Syrian military are conduction an operation in the Joubar and Eastern Guta districts of Damascus.
© TASS/Mikhail Metzel
Iraqi security forces announced on Wednesday that they had come across an unusual finding in the recently retaken town of Baiji in Salahuddin province – 19 mass graves containing the bodies of 365 ISIL terrorists.
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