Kremlin: The Syrian Arab Army in Idlib is fighting terrorism on its territory

MOSCOW, (ST)- The Syrian Arab army in Idlib is fighting terrorists on its territory and this is a sovereign right of the Syrian state, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reaffirmed.

In a statement to reporters on Thursday, Peskov said that “the point now is not to talk about any conflict in Idleb. It is about adherence to the Sochi agreements and to the obligations taken on, by the concerned sides in accordance with these agreements. First and foremost of these obligations is understanding that the Syrian Arab Army is fighting terrorism on the territory of its country.”

On Wednesday, Peskov said that the attacks being launched by terrorists in Idleb on residential areas as well as on Syrian and Russian forces despite the Turkish obligation is unacceptable and it contradicts the Sochi understandings.

 In the same context, the National Defense Management Center in Russia has stressed that terrorists in Syria are still receiving military support and arms from foreign parties.

According to Colonel General Mikhail Mezentsev, Head of the Russian National Defense Management Center, the Syrian Arab Army found huge quantities of western-made weapons and military equipment left behind by the terrorist groups while fleeing because of the Syrian army progress.  This provides clear-cut evidence that foreign parties are still supporting terrorists in Syria, he added.

The senior Russian officer stressed that the terrorists of the so-called “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (formerly called Jabhat al-Nusra) terrorist organization have been trying to foil the Russian and Syrian efforts that aim at ending tension in Idleb, therefore, the Syrian army has to launch a large-scale military operation to ensure the safety of civilians.

Hamda Mustafa