Russia has claimed that almost 88,000 militants have been killed in Syria since Moscow intervened in backing government forces three years ago.
"Over the course of the operation, a total of more than 87,500 rebels have been eliminated, 1,411 settlements have been liberated and more than 95 per cent of Syria's territory," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Saturday.
Moscow's air forces started launching strikes in support of President Bashar Al Assad's government in September 2015.
"Most of the rebels have been liquidated," Mr Shoigu was quoted as saying at a forum in Singapore in a ministry statement. More than 40,000 bombing missions have taken place, hitting about 120,000 targets of "terrorist" infrastructure, Mr Shoigu said.
The defence minister said that "Syrian armed forces currently control territory where more than 90 per cent of the population lives".
Experts say the claims were yet another act of Russian propaganda.
"Where does one even get a number like that? Is it simply tallying total claimed death tolls from all reported strikes, for example?," Aymenn Al Tamimi, fellow at the Middle East Forum told The National.
"The statement talks about 95 per cent of Syria’s territory as ‘liberated’. The Syrian government certainly would not share that view in light of areas outside its formal control that have a US troop presence," he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring group, says some 365,000 people have been killed during the seven-year civil war.
Mr Shoigu's comments came as Washington denied claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin that ISIS has taken nearly 700 people as hostages and are carrying out daily executions.
Mr Putin claimed that European and American nationals were taking from a refugee camp in a US-controlled area.
At an international policy forum in Sochi, Mr Putin said “they have been recently expanding their area and took about 130 families hostage, which accounts for about 700 people”.
The Russian leader said the militants have put forth demands, which he did not specify, and have warned that they would kill 10 people a day if the demands are not met.
“They killed 10 people the day before yesterday,” he said. “They are now carrying out their threats.”
State news agency Tass Wednesday cited an unnamed “diplomatic-military source” as saying the hostages were seized in a raid on a refugee camp and were demanding Syria free ISIS members.
Yet, the Pentagon expressed scepticism, saying that it has "no information" that supports Mr Putin's claim of such a large number of hostages.
"While we have confirmed that there was an attack on an IDP (internally displaced persons) camp near (Deir Ezzor) last week, we have no information supporting the large number of hostages alleged by President Putin and we are sceptical of its accuracy," Pentagon spokesperson Commander Sean Robertson said.
"We are also unaware of any U.S. nationals located in that camp," Mr Robertson said.
Elsewhere, Syrian state media and SOHR reported on Saturday that six hostages, including women and children, held by ISIS were freed. They were captured when the terror group attacked Syria's Sweida city three months ago.
The insurgents released the first group of hostages after talks with local authorities, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
ISIS killed more than 200 people when it staged multiple attacks and overran villages in southwestern Syria in July.
_________
Read more:
Comment: Russia has exploited failures in US foreign policy in the Middle East to achieve greater power with relatively limited means
Russia begins missile system delivery to Syria, warns West on peace talks
_________
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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