Syrian ambassador to Russia says Palmyra liberation was important in combating terrorists

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. The liberation of Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra with support of the Russian Aerospace Forces undermined the terrorists’ military potential, boosted the morale of the Syrian troops and overturned the Western propaganda statements that Moscow and Damascus are fighting not against extremists, but against the moderate opposition, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad told a news conference at TASS on Thursday. "The liberation of Palmyra was of key importance not only for boosting the morale of the soldiers of the Syrian army, but also did not allow the terrorists to regroup and redeploy their forces to the southern and northern regions, limited their defensive capabilities after the loss of control over the region rich in natural resources, deprived them of the ability to buy weapons and equipment", he said. Another important point, according to the diplomat, is that "this victory has overturned the western propaganda that insisted that the Syrian leadership and Russia’s Aerospace Forces are allegedly making strikes only on the moderate opposition and not on the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia)". The Islamic State terrorist group seized Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, early in the summer of 2015. The Syrian authorities warned at that time that the unique historical complex could repeat the sad fate of the ancient Iraqi cities of Ashur and Nimrud, which had been fully ruined and eliminated by insurgents. The Syrian forces supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces started the offensive on Palmyra in late March 2016. On March 23, the ancient city was under the Syrian army’s fire control. The next day Syrian government troops and self-defense forces entered the western outskirts of the city. On March 24 it was reported that the government forces and local militias were storming the last stronghold of the Islamic State terrorist group near Palmyra. A ceasefire regime brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council. An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council. Read more