Contents tagged with Syria

  • Lavrov calls possible cooperation with US on Idlib 'unproductive'

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated at a press conference in Vienna on Friday on the results of his participation in the meeting of the 2017 OSCE Ministerial Council that Moscow and Washington are not planning cooperation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.

    "Idlib remains a difficult situation, and we, above all, together with our Turkish, Iranian (as Russia, Turkey and Iran are the guarantors of the ceasefire in Syria) and Syrian colleagues, are working to launch …

  • Kremlin: Russian military bases in Syria will continue to operate

    The head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Vladimir Shamanov said that Russian military bases in Syria will continue to function after the end of the military operation and that they will prepare to stay for the long term, Interfax reports.

    "Both bases in Syria, Khmeimim, and Tartus will not only continue to function but will constantly improve their quality and capabilities, having ahead of us the long-term perspective of our presence in this far-from-tranquil region," Shamanov said. …

  • Pentagon: Syria not yet cleansed of ISIS

    Syria has not yet been completely liberated from Islamic State militants, but even once it is, it will be necessary to oppose the return of the extremists to the Arab country, US Defense Ministry spokesperson Eric Pahon told a TASS correspondent on Wednesday.

    “Syria has not been cleansed of ISIS. They could withstand our attacks, and we intend to continue our operations in the foreseeable future in order to ensure stability and security in this country,” the Pentagon spokesperson responded …

  • Putin announces complete defeat of ISIS in Syria

    The forces of the Islamic State have been completely defeated in Syria, stated Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing a report of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, reports Interfax.

    “Two hours ago, the Minister of Defense reported that the operations on the eastern and western bank of the Euphrates have been completed with the complete defeat of the terrorists,” Putin said.

    He noted that there may still be isolated areas of resistance.

    “But in general, the combat at this stage and in …

  • US Ambassador to Russia: American troops will leave Syria only when terrorists are defeated

    US Ambassador to Russia, John Huntsman, believes that it will be possible to talk about the withdrawal of US troops from Syria only after making sure that the war with the terrorists has been successfully completed, as he indicated in an interview with Vedomosti, which was published on Monday.

    "You can drive out all of the terrorists from Raqqa and the surrounding Euphrates river valley, but they can regroup and restore their resources, which means that premature departure can simply render …

  • Media: Russian air strikes leave dozens of victims in Syria

    In Syria, as a result of the bombing that was carried out on December 3 by the Syrian military aircraft with the support of the Russian warplanes, at least 19 civilians were killed in the area of East Ghouta, located near the capital of Damascus, reports DW, citing as a source the Syrian Monitoring Center for Human Rights Observance.

    According to observers, the air strikes were inflicted on several cities in Eastern Ghouta. Most of the victims of the bombings were in the city of Hammuria, …

  • Turkey: US must take back weapons delivered to Kurds

    The Pentagon must immediately take the weapons and ammunition it sent to Syrian Kurds’ People’s Protection Units (YPG) for combating IS back to US arsenals, Turkish Presidential Press Secretary Ibrahim Kalin said.

    Last Friday, US President Donald Trump held telephone talks with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan. According to the White House, the American leader informed his colleague about adjustments under consideration regarding military support for America’s partners in Syria. …

  • Russia says UN humanitarian aid is an infringement of Syria’s sovereignty

    According to TASS news agency, during a speech to the UN Security Council, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that the current mechanism for cross-border operations to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria cannot be maintained, although it was authorized by the Security Council.

    “In its present form, this mechanism cannot be preserved. It infringes on the sovereignty of Syria and contradicts the principles of emergency humanitarian assistance agreed …

  • Russian airstrikes kill 34 civilians including 15 children in Syria

    On the morning of Sunday, November 26, Russian Air Forces and forces of the Syrian government conducted an air raid and struck the village of al-Shafah in the province of Deir ez-Zor in Syria, reports the news agency Deutsche Welle.

    “The planes hit base stations and militants gathered in the Euphrates Valley,” said a statement released by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

    However, civilians were also killed during these air raids. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 34 …

  • Chief of General Staff of Russian Army: Russia may reduce the number of troops in Syria

    There could be a substantial reduction in the number of Russian troops in Syria by the end of the year, as stated by the head of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, TASS reports.

      The news agency quotes Gerasimov as saying, “It seems that yes, after the completion of the military objectives, there will be only a few of them, of course, the decision will be made by the commander-in-chief and the troops will be reduced.” According to the head of the General Staff, the reconciliation center, two …