Iran Defense Minister Calls on Syria to Intensify Fight against ISIS

Iran Defense Minister Calls on Syria to Intensify Fight against ISIS
Tue Mar 29, 2016 16:27:03

Iran’s defense minister has called on Syria to intensify its military operations in order to root out terrorism following the Arab country's recent advances against Daesh (ISIS / ISIL) terrorists.

In a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan congratulated Damascus on its liberation of the ancient city of Palmyra.

The Syrian army must “continue and intensify the military operation in order to stem the cancerous tumor of terrorism in the region and liberate remaining areas under the occupation of terrorist groups,” Dehqan said. 

On Sunday, Syrian armed forces successfully established full control over Palmyra, which had fallen to ISIS last May, inflicting what the army called a “mortal blow” to the Takfiri terrorist group.

After the victory, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces vowed in a statement to press ahead with counter-terror military operations and drive ISIS terrorists out of their major strongholds.

The Syrian army is currently closing in on the provinces of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa, which are respectively located in Syria’s east and north.

In his telephone conversation with the Syrian defense minister, Dehqan reasserted Iran's unflinching support for the Arab country.

Freij said the support and assistance provided by Syria’s friends, especially Iran, had "an important role" in achieving the recent victory, the Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

The liberation of Palmyra, he said, was crucial to achieving the "ultimate victory against terrorists and their supporters."

On Monday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani hailed the Syrian army's recapture of Palmyra and vowed to continue support for the Syrian government in its fight on terrorism.

Shamkhani sent a message to President Bashar al-Assad to congratulate him on Sunday's "admirable and honorable" win over ISIS.

Iran's government and its armed forces "will continue to provide Syria with their full support" against the Takfiris, Shamkhani said, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said "the situation in Syria is very good" after the recapture of Palmyra, Fars reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari also lauded Syria's victory and said that Tehran will continue to back the Assad government and other governments battling extremism.

"Iran's support continues for the fight against terrorism in Syria, Iraq and countries exposed to this threat," Ansari told Al-Alam television.

"Syria will march forward strongly in the fight against terrorism and the terrorists definitely won't have a place in the future of the region," he added.

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