Tehran [Iran]/ Moscow [Russia], December 1 (ANI): Iran on Sunday said that it will support Syria after thousands of insurgents took control of the country’s second-largest city of Aleppo and seized nearby towns and villages in an offensive, state media reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was cited by IRNA as saying that Iran continues to support Syria against terrorists wreaking havoc in the Arab country.
“We firmly support the Syrian army and government,” he told reporters before leaving for Syrian capital city of Damascus.
He further said Iran sees no difference between the Israeli regime and the Takfiri terrorists, and added, “We believe that after the Zionist regime’s failure, the enemy is trying to implement its sinister plots of destabilizing the region through these terrorist groups.”
The Iranian minister’s comments come in the wake of reports in which rebel groups in Syria claimed that they have taken control of villages in the northwest of the country in the first significant fighting with government forces for several years.
Al Jazeera cited Syrian state news agency SANA to report that government forces under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been fortifying the northern province of Hama, and that the Syrian army overnight pushed back opposition fighters in its northern countryside. Forces there were being resupplied with heavy equipment and rocket launchers.
The Syrian war began with pro-democracy uprisings across the country in 2011 against Assad’s rule and according to Al Jazeera, since 2020, the front lines had largely been stagnant with an array of rebel groups largely contained to a small portion of Idlib province.
Russian news agency TASS citing from the Syrian military’s General Command’s Facebook page said that the Syrian armed forces units operating in the north of Hama province prevented terrorists from breaking through and destroyed dozens of militants, holding back their offensive, the General Command said in a statement.
“Our forces also managed to take control of a number of areas, the most important of which are Qalaat al-Madiq and Maardis, eliminating dozens of terrorists and causing the rest to flee,” TASS said citing the Syrian military’s posting.
The Syrian military command said on November 28 that units of the Jabhat al-Nusra extremist group “launched a large-scale attack on a broad front” on the morning of November 27 in northern Syria. According to the statement, the terrorists attempted to attack “the villages and towns protected by the Syrian army, as well as military facilities.”
On November 30, the Syrian army said it was forced to regroup its forces while repelling a terrorist attack in Aleppo to save the lives of civilians and servicemen, and was preparing for a counterattack.
Meanwhile, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Sunday said UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a a phone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad and emphasised the UAE’s solidarity with Syria and its support in combating terrorism and extremism.
He also reaffirmed the UAE’s stance supporting all efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis, in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people for stability and development, while preserving Syria’s unity and sovereignty over its entire territories, WAM reported.
Also, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O Pedersen today said he is closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Syria, warning that the “latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security.”
“As an immediate priority, I strongly emphasise the urgent need for all to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said Pedersen in a statement issued today.
Pedersen expressed grave concerns over the dramatic shift in frontlines, including advances by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a UN Security Council-designated terrorist group, and intensified government airstrikes.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the violence in Aleppo has forced thousands to flee, many seeking refuge in unsafe open areas. The key M-5 Damascus-Aleppo Highway is inaccessible between Saraqab City (Idleb) and Aleppo.
Curfews were imposed in Aleppo City on Friday and Saturday, and all public facilities, including universities and schools, have been suspended. Hospitals are said to be overwhelmed with injured individuals, while banks and automated teller machines (ATMs) running out of cash.
On November 30, Israel carried out airstrikes on facilities in Syria that were used by the Hezbollah movement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is closely monitoring what happens in Syria, and will defend its interests, the Times of Israel reported today.
Speaking after rebels captured the city of Aleppo from government forces, Netanyahu promised to enforce the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon firmly, “and any violation will immediately meet a strong response from the IDF,” according to the Times of Israel. (ANI)
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