They want their refugees to come back to Syria to help rebuild the country. The Syrian government has called on refugees to return, saying it has successfully cleared large areas of terrorists (both ISIS and so-called ‘rebels’).

Breitbart The rare appeal reflects the government’s growing confidence after more than seven years of war. While officials usually appeal to Syrians abroad to return during television appearances and interviews, this is the first formal appeal broadcast on official media.

Syrian government forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, recently retook large areas near the capital, Damascus, and are waging a new offensive in the south that U.N. officials say has displaced more than 270,000 people.

The government currently controls over 61 percent of Syria, compared to early 2017, when it held just 17 percent, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the conflict.

Over 5.6 million Syrians have fled the country. The Foreign Ministry says many internally displaced have already returned home, urging refugees to do same.