Assad Vows to ‘Liberate Every Inch of Territory from Terrorists’

Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad reiterated his government's commitment to ‘"liberate every inch of territory from terrorists," following a victory for the Syrian Arab Army in the key Idlib town of Khan Sheikhoun.

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President Assad made the statement while receiving a delegation from Russia’s Douma, headed by lawmaker Dmitry Sablin. At the meeting, Sablin congratulated Assad for the army’s recent military victory in Khan Sheikhoun, which forced the withdrawal of the Al-Qaeda-linked group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

Other military victories for the Syrian Army this week include Tal Tari and areas near the town of Al-Ta’manah.

During the meeting with Sablin, President Assad said these recent victories “prove the determination of the Syrian people and army to continue fighting terrorism until every inch of Syrian territory is liberated, despite the continuing support provided to terrorists by several Western and regional sides”

Also at the meeting, Sablin talked about his tour of Syria’s provinces, in which he expressed relief that peace and normality had returned to much of the country. 

The pair then discussed how Russia and Syria could step up cooperation, not just on military matters but in areas of science and culture too. 

Khan Sheikhoun lies between the country's two largest cities of Damascus and Aleppo and the victory there represents a huge blow to Jihadi groups that still control pockets of the country.