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The Syrian government today called on refugees to return to the country, claiming that it has managed to rid the territories of "terrorists."
This call demonstrates growing government confidence after more than seven years of war, according to AP
. This is the first official call to Syrians published by the state media.
Syrian government forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, have recently regained much of the territory near the capital Damascus. The government currently controls 61% of Syria, compared to early 2017, while only 17% of the territory was in the hands of the government, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring the conflict.
The government calls all rebels against terrorists.
More than 5.6 million Syrians have fled the country. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says many displaced people have already returned home and called on refugees to do the same.
According to the AP, many Syrians can not return because their homes have been destroyed or because they fear being invited to the army, as well as for fear of retaliation from government forces .
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