Iraq, Turkey foreign ministers hold talks on Syria
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The Iraqi Foreign Ministry says Iraq's Foreign Minister held a conversation with his Turkish conversation to discuss terrorism in Syria and its regional repercussions.
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A terrorist checks a motorcycle next to abandoned army vehicles in the town of Maarat al-Numan, southwest of Aleppo, Syria, on November 30, 2024 (AP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Sunday, focusing on recent developments in Syria, sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
The discussion came amidst escalating violence in northern Syria, particularly in the western countryside of Aleppo province, where armed terrorists stormed cities before fierce confrontations ensued.
During the discussion, both ministers acknowledged the complexity of the current situation in Syria, emphasizing that it should not pose a threat to the security of the region.
The two officials underscored the importance of maintaining open channels of communication in the coming days to assess the evolving security situation, sources from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry told Al Mayadeen. They also stressed the necessity of collaborative efforts to prevent Syria's instability from affecting neighboring countries and the broader region.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, warned of the dangers posed by recent terrorist activity in Syria and its potential impact on security and stability in Iraq and the wider region.
Events in Syria linked to 'Israel'
In a statement issued on Saturday, al-Mandalawi linked these developments to the setbacks faced by the Israeli entity in Lebanon and Gaza. He stated that the Israeli occupation's failure to dismantle the unified fronts supporting Palestine prompted it to revive the use of terrorist groups in Syria.
He asserted that the Iraqi Parliament would directly monitor this issue to ensure appropriate security measures are implemented.
Al-Mandalawi urged the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to declare heightened readiness among security forces to safeguard Iraq’s borders. He also called on security leaders to conduct field visits to assess preparations and oversee operations along the border.
The Iraqi senior official directed the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee to convene an emergency meeting to host relevant officials and discuss the recent developments.
He emphasized the need to intensify intelligence coordination with Syrian counterparts to exchange information and carry out preemptive operations to prevent the return or infiltration of terrorist groups into Iraq.
Syrian Army fortifying posts
Syrian Army units operating in the northern countryside of Hama strengthened their defensive lines last night with various firepower assets, a Syrian military source confirmed to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Sunday.
"Our forces operating in the northern countryside of Hama repelled terrorist organizations, preventing them from achieving any breakthroughs," the source said, adding that the Syrian Amry successfully liberated several areas after expelling terrorists, most notably Qal’at al-Madiq and the village of Ma’ardas in Hama.
Syrian state TV also announced that the Syrian Army's confrontations in the past three days with HTS led to the killing of around a thousand militants.
Meanwhile, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Damascus reported that Syrian and Russian warplanes targeted militant movements in the villages of Hazarin and Rakaya in the southern countryside of Idlib.
Damascus regaining control
Later, he confirmed that the Syrian army regained control of several towns in the northern Hama countryside, reaching the eastern Hama countryside.
Our correspondent noted that the airstrikes targeted positions of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group near Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib and Morek in the northern countryside of Hama, adding that Syrian Army forces recaptured the town of Halfaya in the area.
Moreover, Al Mayadeen's correspondent maintained that the circulated reports that armed groups have taken control of the village of Mahardah and the city of al-Saqlabiyah in the Hama countryside and that they are advancing toward the village of Salamiyah are not true.
The Syrian army and allied forces also liberated the town of Taybat al-Imam, the village of Khirbet al-Hijama, and Soran in the northern Hama countryside, according to our correspondent, who also indicated that the Syrian Army is fortifying its positions in Hama and its northern regions, maintaining direct frontlines with southern Idlib.
