Russia denies having ground troops fighting for liberation of Syria’s Idlib
Russia has strongly dismissed allegations by militant groups that Russian special forces or ground troops are fighting for the liberation of Idlib province in northwest Syria.
“Russia has had no and has no ground forces in Syria,” the RIA news agency quoted a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry as saying on Thursday.
The statement came a day after Idlib-based militant commanders alleged that Moscow had dispatched special forces in recent days to fight alongside the Syrian army troops.
The Syrian army is in the midst of an offensive, which began more than two months ago, in the militant-held province to liberate it from the grip of Takfiri terrorists.
“There have not been and there are not now any Russian ground forces in Syria,” the ministry said, describing claims to the contrary as “another fake” news.
Russia started an aerial bombardment campaign against militants in Syria on a request from Syria’s elected government in September 2015.
Together with Iran's military advisory assistance and the Russian help, the Syrian military has retaken almost the entire country from the militants.
Idlib is a final flash point and the last bastion for foreign-backed militants.
The Syrian army warned civilians to leave Idlib before the campaign began to flush terrorists out of the region.
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 in the country.
The government forces have already managed to undo militant gains across the country and bring back almost all of the Syrian soil under the government control.
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