(Zaman Al Wasl)- It is impossible to tolerate the situation in Idlib province indefinitely, it is necessary to separate the armed opposition from terrorists, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
The Russian Foreign Minister stressed during his speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) that "there is no place for terrorists in Syria, and the Syrian government has every right to seek their liquidation on its territory," Russian Sputnik reported.
The Kremlin Monday said the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey would hold a tripartite summit Friday in Iran seeking an end to the Syrian conflict.
In a statement confirming the date of September 7 that was reported earlier by Turkish media, the Kremlin said Putin would "make a working visit to Iran" for the talks.
He and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will consider "further joint efforts to ensure long-term normalization of the situation in Syria," the Kremlin said.
Putin also plans bilateral talks with each of the leaders, it added.
Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan have backed Syria peace talks based in the Kazakh capital of Astana which they insist are aimed at reinforcing, rather than undermining, a parallel U.N. peace process in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Air Force has been mobilizing its utmost power to hit last rebel territory in northwestern Syria, military source told Zaman al-Wasl.
A task command has been formed to coordinate the aerial campaign where the key regime military airports are on alert.
An unprecedented movement of military aircraft and logistical preparations at the airports of Dumeir, T-4 and al-Seen in coordination with the Russian base of Hmeimim in coastal Latakia province.
The northwestern province, which lies along the border with Turkey, has been held since 2015 by the jihadist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance and other rival rebels.
Bashar al-Assad's offensive could force as many as 800,000 people to flee in one of the Syrian war's largest displacements yet.
Idlib and slivers of adjacent provinces form the largest remaining block of rebel territory -- and the next expected target of Bashar al-Assad's troops and their Russian allies.
Western powers have warned Syrian troops could use toxic substances against the civilian population as they seek to recapture Idlib.
Since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, more than 350,000 people have been killed, more than 11 million have fled their homes and medical infrastructure has been systematically targeted.
Zaman Al Wasl, Agencies
Zaman Al Wasl
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