MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Sana news agency, Pope Francis stressed in the letter that Syria was going through difficult times and asserted the Vatican’s condemnation of all forms of terrorism and extremism.
He also called on strengthening efforts on fighting against terrorism in Syria so that it could remain a model for coexistence among cultures and religions as it has always been.
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end of the conflict in Syria, condemning terrorist attacks.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting the Syrian opposition groups striving to overthrow Assad. Damascus is also fighting numerous extremist and terrorist groups such as the Jabhat Fatah al Sham (previously known as al-Nusra Front) and Daesh, both outlawed in the United States and Russia. According to the United Nations, 300,000 Syrians died since the beginning of the conflict.
