Russia Says it Supports US Anti-terror Efforts
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed Moscow’s support for all efforts to combat terrorism in Syria, after the US operation during which the leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, was killed in Idlib countryside, northwest Syria.
“Russia has made a decisive contribution to defeating the international terrorism on Syrian territory, and our country’s principled position on the need to fight this global evil is well known,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
“We support the efforts of other countries, including members of the US-led Global Coalition, in the anti-terrorist direction,” Zakharova said in a statement.
Moscow is “ready to cooperate with all countries interested in establishing a joint effective response to this common threat,” she added.
Having the ISIS leader hiding in the Idlib region is “another evidence that this area, which is not controlled by the Syrian government, is a safe haven still used by international terrorists,” She noted.
“This confirms the necessity of eliminating the militants’ stronghold in Idlib as soon as possible, as it was agreed upon with Turkey,” she added.
The continuation of the status quo is in the interest of terrorist groups, according to Zakharova.
“The only way to ensure security in Syria is for the legitimate Syrian authorities to regain control over the entire territory of the country,” She said.
“Last night at my direction, U.S. military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our Allies, and make the world a safer place,” Biden said in a statement.
A number of countries, led by Russia, are moving today to push for final political settlements for the Syrian issue, “and this will require resolving some issues before working on the political aspect,” Theodore Karasik, an American political analyst for security affairs, told North Press.
“Many questions will be risen about the reason for the presence of such extremist leaders in Idlib,” he added.
Yesterday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that his country had dealt a “hard blow to ISIS” by killing its leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.
In a statement Austin expressed his “great pride in the American forces that carried out the operation” that helps “make our country and our citizens safer.”
He added, “The operation was carried out in a way that minimizes civilian casualties. We know that Al-Quraishi and others in his residence directly caused the deaths of women and children last night.”
“But given the complexity of this task, we will take a look at the possibility that our actions have also resulted in harm to innocents,” he said.
“The fight against ISIS continues, their leader may be gone, but their twisted ideology and determination to kill, maim and terror continue to threaten our national security and the lives of countless innocent people,” Austin added.
“The death of al-Baghdadi is significant, but the death of this ISIS (Islamic State Organization) leader does not mean the death of ISIS,” U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.