Russian FM Says US Seeks to Create 'Free Syria Army' of Terrorists against Damascus
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the United States is in the process of establishing a so-called "free Syria army" comprised of terrorists and militants to act against the legitimate government in Damascus.
During four-party talks on Syria with his counterparts from Syria, Turkey, and Iran, Lavrov highlighted that merely supporting self-proclaimed Kurdish regions and arming the illegal armed units they formed was no longer sufficient for the US, according to TASS.
Based on the information available to Russia, the US has initiated the creation of the so-called Free Syria Army near the Syrian city of Raqqa, recruiting local Arab tribes in addition to militants from Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) and other terrorist organizations. The objective is evident: utilizing these militants against Syria's legitimate authorities to destabilize the country, Lavrov stated.
Lavrov underscored that the Russian and Syrian military forces recently addressed this matter and agreed upon a collaborative approach in this field. The top Russian diplomat expressed hope that all planned measures would be successfully executed.
According to Lavrov, Moscow firmly believes that overt foreign interference in regional affairs, especially when it involves military force, is unacceptable. In this particular case, it pertains to the deployment of foreign military units on Syrian soil.