Regional Arab media outlets have reported on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent discussions with his Emirati and Iraqi counterparts amid the escalating developments in Syria.
According to Al-Hura news agency, Assad held telephone conversations with Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, on Saturday evening, 30 November. In a subsequent statement, the media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister confirmed that Al-Sudani had spoken with Assad to address the unfolding situation in Syria and the pressing security challenges confronting the country.
The statement quoted Al-Sudani as saying, “Syria’s security and stability are deeply intertwined with Iraq’s national security, shaping regional security as a whole and impacting broader efforts to foster stability across the Middle East”.
Commenting on recent developments, Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said, “The Syrian state will persist in its fight against armed groups,” as reported by Al-Qahirah News Channel. He added: “Our efforts are focused on restoring security and stability in Syria while safeguarding the unity, sovereignty and integrity of its territory.”
In connection with the latest battle developments, a Syrian military source claimed on Sunday that Syrian Army units had successfully confronted terrorist organisations, preventing them from making any inroads into the countryside north of Hama.
On 1 December, the Syrian Ministry of Defence announced that its units had secured several areas in Hama and were actively confronting terrorist organisations, saying, “Units of our armed forces operating in the northern Hama countryside reinforced their defensive lines last night with various means, including firepower, personnel and equipment, successfully repelling terrorist organisations and preventing any breaches.”
A Sputnik correspondent reported that 18 militants were killed and several others wounded in an ambush by an unidentified group west of the city of Idlib.
Amid other recent developments in Syria, reports of a coup against Assad in Damascus emerged last night. However, due to the sensitive nature of Iranian media coverage of Syrian affairs, Tasnim News Agency, closely aligned with Iran’s security forces, swiftly dismissed the rumours. The agency stated that, despite the speculation, Damascus remains calm, attributing the reports to a terrorist-led military operation, which has been amplified by the support of certain media organisations to undermine resistance and facilitate their advance
