Russia's military chief on Tuesday said active operations in Syria were "coming to an end", echoing comments made by President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad the day before.

"The active phase of military operations in Syria is coming to an end. Despite the fact that there remains a raft of unresolved problems, that stage is coming to its logical conclusion," said Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in comments carried by agencies