Iranian, Syrian FMs discuss radical groups' resurgence

Tehran, Nov 30 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a phone talk with his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh, exchanging views on the latest developments in Syria, Iran's state-run IRIB TV reported.

During the talk on Friday, Araghchi denounced the resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria as a US-Israeli "scheme" following setbacks in Lebanon and Palestine, affirming that Iran would continue to support the Syrian nation, government, and army in the fight against terrorism for safeguarding regional security and stability, Xinhua news agency reported.

For his part, Sabbagh said the Syrian nation and government would strive to the fullest extent to defend themselves, and will, as always, foil the attempts of terrorists and their supporters in reaching their objectives.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group and allied factions have launched a major offensive on Syrian military positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces since Wednesday, resulting in dozens of deaths, including a senior member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the seizure of several towns.

Earlier on Friday, the Syrian army announced that its forces successfully repelled the large-scale offensive by HTS in the rural regions of Aleppo and Idlib, claiming to have inflicted heavy losses to the rebel group and hundreds of casualties among the terrorists.

In May 2017, Russia and Iran, allies of the Syrian government, signed a memorandum with Turkey, a key supporter of the Syrian opposition, agreeing to establish de-escalation zones in Aleppo and Idlib.

In September 2018, Russia and Turkey brokered a stabilisation memorandum for Idlib. But sporadic fighting continues to erupt in the province.

--IANS

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