Iran’s SNSC Secretary Congratulates Syria on Palmyra Liberation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani congratulated Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Arab country’s government and nation on Syrian forces liberating the historic city of Palmyra from Takfiri terrorists.
In a message on Monday, Shamkhani lauded the determination and strong will of the Syrian nation, government and army for mopping up the territories which were under the occupation of Takfiri and terrorist groups.
He added that the sacrifices and braveries of the Syrian forces will be recorded in the history of the region.
“The Iranian government and Armed Forces will continue their full support for Syria and the axis of resistance,” the senior official stressed.
Shamkhani further described Syria as the frontline of fighting against terrorism, urging the international community to back the Syrian government and launch a genuine battle against terror groups instead of trying to prettify their image and get them involved in peace talks.
On Sunday, Syrian state television quoted a military source as saying the army had taken “complete control over the city of Palmyra”.
Palmyra, known as the “bride of the desert”, used to attract tens of thousands of tourists a year before the Syrian conflict started in 2011.
In May 2015, Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) took the city and later demolished some of its best-known monuments.
Capturing the city is a major victory for President Assad’s government.
With Russian support, it has made steady gains in recent months against Daesh and other groups it is fighting.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists, including Daesh, currently controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.
The Syrian conflict has killed at least 260,000 people, according to the UN, and more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22.4 million has been internally displaced or fled abroad.
