Syria to 'go all the way' in rebel-held Idlib amid chemical weapon fears

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Syria's foreign minister said government forces will "go all the way" in the rebel-held northern region of Idlib and that Damascus' main targets were Al-Nusra militants.

Speaking after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also said Syria would not use chemical weapons in any offensive and that it did not have such weapons. Syria would try to avoid civilian deaths, he added.

Moualem said Western aggression would not prevent Damascus from retaking all Syrian territory.

"A tripartite aggression or not, it will not influence our determination to liberate the entire Syrian territory," Moualem said, referring to Washington, Paris and London.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov prepare to hold a joint news conference following their talks in Moscow, August 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

Government forces have been massing around Idlib – Syria's only remaining rebel-held province – for days and looked poised to launch what could be the last major battle of the civil war that has torn the country apart since 2011.

Last week, the United States, France and Britain threatened to respond if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad uses chemical weapons in its offensive to retake Idlib province.

The United Nations on Thursday called on Russia, Iran and Turkey to forestall the offensive on Idlib which would affect millions of civilians and could see both militants and the government potentially using chlorine as a chemical weapon.

Syrian rebel fighters prepare in anticipation of an attack by government forces on Idlib province in Kafr Zeta, August 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

Moualem said that the government's main target was fighters belonging to Al-Nusra Front jihadists.

"The Syrian command has taken a decision to defeat Al-Nusra Front in Idlib no matter the sacrifices that it would entail," Moualem said, referring to the former Syrian affiliate of Al-Qaeda.

He insisted, however, that the authorities wanted to win back territory through reconciliation agreements.

"We are ready to make every effort to avoid victims among the civilians," he added.

(Cover: Turkish forces are seen in a convoy on a main highway in the northern Idlib province, August 29, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters