‘Terrorists entrenched there’: Kremlin rebukes Trump’s warning against Idlib offensive
RT.com
4 Sep, 2018
Trump’s warning against the Syrian operation in Idlib is “not a full, comprehensive approach” to the problem, the Kremlin’s spokesperson said, adding that a “terrorist nest” in Idlib is dangerous for the whole country.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov was commenting on a tweet posted by US President Donald Trump on Monday, in which he urged Syrian President Bashar Assad not to “recklessly attack” Idlib, the last major city held by anti-government militants and terrorists. President Trump also issued a warning to Moscow and Tehran against making “a grave humanitarian mistake” by supporting the Syrian assault. “Don’t let that happen!” he said.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Peskov cautioned the US against “simply issuing warnings, without considering the very dangerous, negative potential for the whole situation in Syria.”
The case of Syria’s northwestern province remains an issue of “special concern” for Russia, Syria, and Turkey, Peskov said.
“A nest of terrorism has formed there. A quite large group of terrorists had entrenched there. This leads to general destabilization, and undermines the attempts to steer the situation to diplomatic and political settlement.”
Much of Idlib Province is controlled by an Al-Qaeda affiliate called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Among other issues, the presence of terrorists poses “a substantial threat” to the Russian Army’s outposts in Syria, Peskov told reporters. He said that the militants have used the province to launch numerous drone attacks on Khmeimim Air Base, which hosts Russian aircraft.
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