The ISIL Takfiri terrorist group has been defeated over the last three years of military actions in Syria with Russia’s support, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Saturday.

At the fifth council of defense ministers of ASEAN member countries and their dialogue partners, Shoigu said that almost 88,000 terrorists had been killed in Syria in the three years since Moscow’s intervention in the war-torn country at the request of the Syrian government.

“Over the course of the operation, 87,500 militants were destroyed, 1,141 settlements and over 95% of Syria’s territory were liberated,” Shoigu said, according to Tass Russian news agency.

“Key settlements were liberated and main communications were unblocked,” he noted.

“The Syrian armed forces currently control territory where 90% of the population resides,” he added.

Source: TASS