Syrian army declares defeating IS in southern region

The Syrian army declared on Monday the full defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in the southern region after capturing the al-Safa hills area east of Sweida province, according to the state TV.

The army said in a televised statement that the achievement comes after the Syrian forces captured an area estimated at 380 square km in the Syrian desert in southern Syria.

It added that the liberated area is important as it was the last stronghold of IS in southern Syria.

The Syrian army started the operation in the eastern countryside of Sweida following the July 15 attack by IS on areas in Sweida, during which 260 people were killed and around 30 others kidnapped by the terror-designated group.

The military operations dragged on and the army managed earlier this month to secure the release of the hostages from IS grip while escalating the attacks on IS in the desert of Sweida until fully liberating the area.

In its statement, the army stressed that it will continue to fight terror groups located on Syrian soil.

Over 425 IS militants have been killed since the army started its operations in the countryside of Sweida on July 25, a military source told Xinhua recently.

With Monday's declaration, the entire province of Sweida is free of IS.

Sweida, a predominantly Druze area, has remained largely calm during the more than seven-year-long war in Syria, except for the countryside of that province, as IS had controlled areas in the desert region.