Russia won’t pressure Syria to halt Aleppo strikes: Official
Moscow will not seek a halt to Syrian airstrikes on militant-held areas of Aleppo as the move could embolden terrorists who control those neighborhoods, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Saturday.
“No, we are not going to put pressure on (Damascus) because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat,” Gennady Gatilov said, adding that Syria’s campaign against the militant-held areas of Aleppo is helping to combat terrorist groups.
The remarks came in response to a demand by Syria’s High Negotiations Committee, a major foreign-backed opposition group which has militants on the ground in Syria. The group, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has warned that if Damascus does not stop fighting in Aleppo, an initiative by the United Nations for reaching a peace deal on the situation in Syria would totally collapse.
The HNC left Syria’s peace talks last week in the Swiss city of Geneva after it accused the government of violating a truce deal.
Gatilov said, however, that Syria’s offensive in Aleppo is based on a UN Security Council resolution which accepts Syria’s right to fighting terrorists.
“… it says clearly who the opponents are: these are Daesh (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations included in the Security Council lists,” said Gatilov of the groups operating inside and around Aleppo.
Daesh and al-Nusra Front are excluded from a “cessation of the hostilities” agreement reached in late February as an attempt for facilitating peace talks. The truce, which is sponsored by the United States and Russia, is still officially in place in many parts of Syria despite surging violence in Aleppo, which has been a flashpoint over the past weeks.
The Russian deputy foreign minister said efforts are underway by Moscow for broadening the list of outlawed groups, so that offensives like the one by Syrian military in Aleppo could face less friction.
“We are trying now to add two more to them, of which we said earlier, namely Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar ash-Sham,” Gatilov said.
Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the Arab country. Dozens have been killed in renewed clashes over the past few days as warnings are high that a human tragedy may unfold in the city.
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