[ad_1]
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has declared the reconquest of the northwestern rebel stronghold Idlib as a military priority. "Idlib is now our goal, but not just idlib," Assad told the Tbad agency, Russian media on Thursday. In the east, there are areas controlled by terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (IS).
22:43, July 26, 2018
The military will advance in all these regions, claimed Assad. Idlib is one of the country's last provinces of civil war, owned by opponents of the government. More recently, the army has been chasing rebel groups into an offensive in the south of the country. Assad pointed out that he said earlier: "The government's duty is to free up every inch of Syrian soil."
Government forces returned to control vast areas of the country with the help of the Russia and Iran in recent months. Russia has supported Assad with aerial bombardments since 2015. Moscow maintains two military bases in Syria.
Assad described the presence of Russia in the region as "important for the military and political balance in the world". "Russia is not a small country, it is a great power, so it has the responsibility of the whole world," Assad said. And Russia also bears this responsibility.
Experts believe that Russia's military intervention will ensure its influence in the Middle East and weaken the US position in the region. In the West, Russia is accused of covering alleged Syrian gas attacks against civilians. The Moscow and Damascus allies deny it.
Source link
