Damascus:

Syrian Troops Keep Pressure on Terrorists in Eastern Ghouta

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Syrian armed forces continue their operation against terrorists in Eastern Ghouta in line with the international law, Syria’s SANA news agency reported citing the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s letter to the UN Secretary General.

News ID: 69066

Date: 07 March 2018 - 15:00

In the letter, the Syrian government reaffirms commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2401 and expresses "its readiness to cooperate with positive international initiatives which serve the interests of the Syrian people, especially those which contribute to stopping the shedding of Syrian blood", SANA reported.

"Military operations carried out by the Syrian army and armed forces to eliminate terrorists in the Eastern Ghouta area are lawful in terms of the Syrian State’s right to self-defense and fighting terrorism and in accordance with the international humanitarian law," the agency said.

Damascus urges the UN Security Council to exert pressure on states that support terrorist groups in order to make them abide by the terms of the ceasefire and stop holding civilians hostage.

"Syrian Arab Army helicopters throw leaflets over the villages and towns of Ghouta to inform civilians willing to leave the area about the safe corridor designated for evacuating civilians through al-Wafideen Camp, meantime, the armed terrorist groups, for the eighth day in a row, continued to target with shells the humanitarian corridor set up by the Syrian State and prevent civilians from reaching it," it added.

According to the agency, the document also notes that "no condemnation has been made by the US, Britain and France which called for adopting the resolution no. 2401 and no statement condemning the terrorists’ violations and shelling of Damascus city and its surrounding which caused the martyrdom and the injury of hundreds of innocent civilians."

It reported that this illustrates that by pressing for the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2401, certain states sought to stop the Syrian military offensive on terrorists in Eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry’s letter also informed the UN Security Council that states supporting militants group in Syria "launched a misleading media campaign and circulated false news on an alleged use of chemical weapons".

On February 25, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding that the parties to the Syrian conflict cease hostilities for at least 30 days so that humanitarian aid can be provided to civilians. All the 15 Security Council member states, including Russia, supported the document. According to the resolution, the ceasefire does not apply to military operations against the ISIL and other terrorist groups.