Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Damascus Tuesday, praising the Moscow-backed Syrian regime's "fight against international terrorism."

"With Russia's support, a significant success in the fight against terrorism has been achieved," Shoigu said, according to a statement published by Moscow's defence ministry.

"The main thing is that we were able to save the Syrian state and create conditions for the return of peaceful life," he added.

He criticised "Western countries" for "trying to minimise any positive changes in Syria and creating new obstacles for ending the crisis."

With the help of its Russian and Iranian backers, Assad has retaken swathes of territory from rebels and jihadists since 2015 and now controls almost two-thirds of the country.

But some key areas remain beyond his control, including the northwestern rebel-controlled region of Idlib.

Last week, Russian jets carried out strikes on the province, the first such attacks since a September Turkish-Russian truce deal.

According to monitors, the strikes killed at least 13 civilians.

Russia has backed Assad with troops and air strikes since 2015.

The Syrian conflict has left more than 370,000 dead and millions displaced since it started in 2011.

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