Newstalk Florida – N

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on vowed on Tuesday to “liberate” every inch of his country, in the same way his troops recaptured the historic town of Palmyra from ISIS earlier this year. Assad’s speech in front of the newly-elected parliament came as government forces pushed ahead in their offensive in the northern province of Raqqa, which is home to the de facto capital of IS and the seat of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

The scales of war in Syria have tipped in Assad’s favor since Russia began an aerial campaign last September, helping the government troops capture wide areas from insurgents.