Brigadier General Amir Hatami made the remarks after the Syrian and Russian jet fighters on Tuesday conducted airstrikes on a number of positions in Idlib and Hama provinces. This comes as the Syrian army is preparing to start a full-scale offensive to retake the militant-held Idlib province.
Speaking in a Wednesday meeting with the Russian Army commander, the Iranian defence chief appreciated the efforts and performance of different troops, including Russian forces as well as the Syrian army and forces of the resistance front, in operations against terrorists in Syria.
General Hatami said the recent gains against terrorists were the result of cooperation, coordination and rapport by the governments of the countries sending troops as well as the troops themselves.
The Iranian defence chief elaborated on what was going on in Syria during the ISIS terrorist group’s occupation of the country.
“What the operating troops did in countering terrorists in Syria was an invaluable move that could thwart a major plot hatched against regional security,” the senior Iranian commander noted.
He described the recent victories in Syria as very important.
“Not only Syrian people, but also people of the region and the whole world have benefitted from the achievements of these triumphs, so we take the opportunity to thank all operational troops in Syria,” he said.
The top general said the experience gained from cooperation and coordination in Syria could serve as a model for the establishment of peace and stability in the region and in other arenas.
Hatami also noted that the plots hatched by hegemonic powers in Syria could have plunged the country into “institutionalized insecurity” for a long time.
The top Russian commander, in turn, presented a report on the field developments in the war against terrorists and said close coordination among commanders and other troops was the key contributor to the victories.
Russia commenced an anti-terror campaign, mainly through airstrikes, in militancy-infested Syria in September 2015, upon an official request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. Its assistance to the Syrian military in eliminating terrorists has significantly helped Damascus in retaking militant-held areas and cities across the Arab country.
Iran has also been helping Damascus in its fight against various factions of terrorists on its soil through providing government troops with advisory assistance upon the Syrian government’s request since foreign-backed militancy broke out in the country in March 2011.
