MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2018) Over 237,000 civilians have returned to Syria from abroad since September 2015, while over 1.2 million internally displaced persons have returned to their home settlements, Igor Sergeev, a representative of the Russian interdepartmental coordination center for the return of refugees, said on Wednesday.
"Since September 30, 2015, a total of 237,370 Syrians have returned from abroad," Sergeev said at the center's meeting, adding that the number of internally displaced persons who have returned to their homes over the same period of time amounted to 1,219,390.
According to Sergeev, five refugees have returned to Khasham, a town located in Deir ez-Zor province, over the past 24 hours, while 416 civilians have left Idlib de-escalation zone over the same period of time.
Over 28,000 civilians have left Idlib since March 4, according to the official.
Over the past 24 hours, one humanitarian action has been held in Kafat village in Hama province. According to Sergeev, Russia has held 1,903 humanitarian actions in Syria, delivering almost 3,000 tonnes of food, bottled water and necessities to local people.
Sergeev added that Russian medics had provided medical assistance to 89,152 Syrians.
Russia launched a military operation against terrorist groups in Syria in September 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. On December 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of a significant portion of Russian troops from the country, a week after his announcement that the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, outlawed in Russia) was defeated in Syria. However, Russian servicemen have remained at Russia's naval facility in the city of Tartus and Hmeimim air base in order to continue helping maintain security in the country.
Russia, alongside Iran and Turkey, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria that has long been in a state of conflict between the government and terror organizations.
