"Our Western colleagues amplify their moans and calls to stop armed action, as if forgetting about our shared decisions to fight terrorism in an uncompromising manner. Then, as you could see today, terrorists become innocent babies [...] Consensus in favor of a new peaceful Syria owned by the Syrian people rather than Western protégés and mercenaries is already in place. Terrorists and those who support them are not the ones to hold the initiative", Polyanskiy stressed.
The UK Political Coordinator to the United Nations, Stephen Hickey, claimed earlier on Thursday during the UNSC meeting that "there remain more babies than terrorists in Idlib".
The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011. In August 2015, Syrian President Bashar Assad asked Russia for military assistance in countering armed opposition forces, including terrorist organizations.
Government forces have regained control of most territories and declared victory over the Daesh terrorist group. Terrorists, however, continue to control some parts of the Idlib province in the north of Syria.
In early August, a long-discussed truce entered into force in Idlib. Syrian military leadership said it would resume its military operation in northwestern Syria if Ankara failed to implement its obligations under a Turkey-Russia September 2018 agreement reached in Sochi. Three days later, on 5 August, Syrian government forces resumed the operation due to the militants' non-compliance with the ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey.
Russia, Turkey and Iran are the ceasefire guarantors in conflict-affected Syria. Russia carries out humanitarian operations across the country on a regular basis and helps Damascus in providing safe passage for the return of Syrian refugees.
*Daesh (Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL, IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.
