Syrian troops have eliminated more than 270 militants of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) during the offensive in As-Suwayda governorate since the middle of November, according to Oleg Makarevich, a spokesman for the command of the Russian task force in Syria. Over 270 militants were killed, and large amounts of weapons, ammunition, shells, foreign-made landmines, including 12 TOW anti-tank guided missiles, were seized, Makarevich said. The Syrian military said on November 19 that the entire Al-Safa Canyon area located less than 100km from Damascus had been liberated from terrorists in As-Suwayda. An area of 380 square kilometers was liberated, and IS leader in southern Syria, Abu Hajar al-Shishani, was eliminated during the operation, SANA news agency reported. This was the last militant stronghold liberated by the Syrian Army in the south of the country.