Russian Diplomat: Nearly 3,000 Islamic State terrorists are operating in Syria

Around 3,000 members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization and their supporters are operating in Syria at the moment, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Gennady Kuzmin said at the session of the UN Security Council on combating terrorism.

“At the moment, there are around 3,000 IS members and their supporters in Syria,” Kuzmin stated, TASS reported.

“Moreover, many other terrorist groups are operating in Syria as well, most notably Jebhat al-Nusra,” he added.

“Over 1,500 militants have returned from combat zones to places of their permanent residence or arrived to other settlements under the guise of internally displaced persons,” the diplomat noted.

Syria has been mired in a war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and terrorist groups.

Source: Farsnews