Information on government forces’ operations in Idlib false, based on lies: Syrian UN envoy

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations says the Western information on the Syrian army’s operations in Idlib province is based on lies.

Speaking during a UN Security Council session late on Tuesday, Bashar Jaafari stated that the Syrian army never targets schools and hospitals, emphasizing that terrorists from the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, continue to take hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields in Idlib, commit the most heinous crimes against them and continue their attacks on neighboring towns and citizens.

Jaafari further noted that all members of the Security Council are aware of the fact that there is a problem in Idlib which needs to be dealt with, but ignore its root cause.

“The Turkish regime and its partners continue to provide various forms of support to terrorist groups and evade their obligations under the Astana peace process and Sochi initiative. This has helped thousands of foreign terrorists control Idlib and some neighboring areas, create a focal point for terrorism, take hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields, commit the most heinous crimes against them, spread death, destroy civilian facilities like hospitals and schools, and turn them into centers for the detention, torture and massacre of those who reject extremist Takfiri ideology,” the top Syrian diplomat pointed out.

Jaafari underlined that the Damascus government will not allow the lives of its citizens to be endangered, will continue to exercise its sovereign and constitutional rights under the provisions of the UN Charter and the principles of international law, combat terrorism and end the illegal presence of foreign forces on its territory.

He insisted that Western governments are not in a position to condemn Damascus for human rights violations.

Jaafari noted that the same countries that accuse the Syrian government of rights violations have banned the sale of medical equipment to Syria.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said the Astana talks format is the only way to stabilize the situation in Syria.

Nebenzia stressed that Idlib should return control to the Syrian government’s control and that remaining terrorists should be eliminated to prevent them from spreading to other regions.

He went on to say that Moscow rejects all accusations of indiscriminate attacks in Syria.

“We decisively reject any accusation of indiscriminate strikes, we are not carrying out attacks on civilians,” Nebenzia said.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc on the country.

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