War in Syria is nearly over, some terrorist pockets remain: UNHCR official

BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:45 A.M.) - The war in Syria is nearly over, but some terrorist pockets still remain inside the country, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Middle East and North Africa Bureau Director Amin Awad told Sputnik.

"There are some active skirmishes and some nasty groups still inside the country and we have to be very careful," Awad said on Thursday.

"There are still many pockets of ISIS [Daesh] in Syria, so security wise that’s what we mean by hard to reach areas."

Awad explained that the terminology concerning the situation in Syria has to change, given that the war has effectively ended, but noted that the hard to reach areas remain numerous.

"There are places in the northwest, near Idlib, there are places in the northeast, there are places around Der ez Zor," Awad added.