Syrian army, Israel will resist, accomplices regret “new atrocities”

The spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denounced the recent surge in terrorist activities in northern Syria, saying that Syrian government forces and Axis of Resistance fighters will make the Zionist regime and its allies remorseful over these new atrocities.

“They (the terrorists operating in Syria) are not opposition fighters, but mercenaries of the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States, as well as regrouped remnants of Daesh and other Takfiri groups,” Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini of the IRGC said spokesman and deputy head of the Public Relations Department in an interview with the Defa Press news agency published on Monday.

He added that the main goal of foreign-backed terrorists is to confront the axis of resistance, create a new front and weaken one of the most significant components of the resistance, namely Syria.

“The Zionist regime believes that it can make up for its defeats against the Lebanese Hezbollah and the resistance forces in Gaza through the involvement of the resistance front in Syria.

“Nevertheless, the proud Syrian Army and the powerful Resistance Front will soon deliver a regretful response to the new evil adventurism of the Zionists and all those who supported this plan,” Naeini said.

The Syrian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that dozens of foreign-backed Takfiri fighters, led by members of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), were killed and injured on the outskirts of the town of al-Safira in eastern Aleppo country, when Syrian and Russian warplanes carried out joint targeted airstrikes.

The announcement came as Syrian Army troops continued operations to counter attacks by terrorist groups in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama provinces.

The Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria also said that 320 militants from various terrorist groups were killed in the last 24 hours when their positions in north and west central Syria were bombed.

The official Syrian news agency SANA confirmed, citing a military source, that the joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes hit key terrorist positions.

Field reports indicate significant progress by the Syrian army, as government forces have recaptured almost all villages in the Hama area.

According to the Lebanese television news channel al-Mayadeen, Syrian-Russian airstrikes have hit militant supply routes in western Aleppo. The terrorist positions in Idlib are also being intensively bombed.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reiterated his country’s full commitment to eradicating terrorism, stressing that the government in Damascus as well as the Syrian army and nation are quite determined to confront terrorist groups with force.

Assad emphasized the crucial role of allies and friends in combating foreign-backed terrorists and thwarting their plots, stressing that the Syrian government is committed to protecting the country’s territorial integrity and national security.

On Sunday, United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called on all parties to the conflict to immediately seek a political solution.

“Recent developments pose major risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he said.

Syria has been plagued by foreign militancy since March 2011. Damascus said Western states and their regional allies were supporting terrorist groups to wreak havoc in the Arab country.

Terror groups are trying to hinder the Syrian government’s efforts to consolidate security and stability in the country, which also faces regular aggression from the Israeli regime.

Since the outbreak of foreign-backed militancy in Syria in March 2011, Israel has been the main backer of terrorist groups opposed to the democratically elected government of President Bashar al-Assad.