President al-Assad meets army personnel on frontlines in Idleb and Hama countryside

Damascus, SANA- President Bashar al-Assad on Monday visited Syrian Arab Army units operating on the frontlines in Idleb’s southern countryside and Hama’s northern countryside. During his tour, President al-Assad, accompanied by Defense Minster Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, was briefed by the commanders of the forces stationed in al-Habit town about the current situation on the ground, particularly following combat operations that have led to the defeat of terrorists and reestablishing control over tens of villages and towns spread across hundreds of kilometers. The commanders also briefed His Excellency on the preparations and the readiness of the forces for liberating Idleb and other areas where terrorist organizations are still present. President al-Assad said: “What our Armed Forces have achieved during the recent stage with the liberation of Khan Sheikhoun and the villages surrounding it is part of a series of victories that make up the natural course of the Syrian Arab Army throughout the years of the war on terrorism. This is the result of monumental efforts and great sacrifices by the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army who embody the will of the people to defend the homeland and protect it from what it is being subjected to.” His Excellency added: “What Syria has gone through during these nine years can be likened to the chapters of a play prepared and directed and executed by one side, but in each chapter it would have a different main character or actor, and the main actor of the current stage is Erdogan, who was the most successful in being a pawn in the hands of his American master and in being a thief who steals wheat, petroleum, and factories, and now he is trying to steal land.” President al-Assad noted that although some had bet on foreign sides instead of betting on the homeland, and they had refused to coordinate with their own countrymen to prevent thieves from carrying out their plans, what is important now is rallying efforts to mitigate the effects of the invasion and repel the invader, which is a national and constitutional duty. His Excellency said: “The Idleb front is very important, particularly since it was an advanced outpost for them, while the battle was in the east, which aimed at scattering the army, which is why we have always said that the conclusion of the battle in Idleb is the basis for ending chaos and terrorism across Syria.” President al-Assad also inspected two military units stationed in Idleb countryside and Hama countryside. While meeting soldiers and officers, President al-Assad said: “Just as the soldier who cannot read the military map of the battlefield could lose the battle, the politician who cannot read the political map could cause great damage to his country and place it in dangerous positions, which is what happened with a number of Arab politicians whose positions resulted in the Arab situation being in its current state.” “Those who want to read the current situation in Syria must be on the ground, because the one who draws this map is the Syrian soldier with his might and bravery in the face of fierce forces supported by tens of states with all kinds of support.” President al-Assad said the battles waged by the heroes of the Army and Armed Forces have been difficult and many, and that war is possibly the most difficult thing a human being could experience, but war isn’t more difficult than losing the homeland and losing the trust of the Syrian citizens who are still suffering from the injustice and crimes of terrorists a few kilometers away, waiting for the Syrian Arab Army to save them from the terrorists, nor is it more difficult from not being able to answer a mother or a father or a wife or a sister or a brother who have abductees in the hands of terrorists and who are waiting for the army to find out their fate. “Throughout all these years, the soldiers of the army have risen up to their task, and they persevered and achieved what the West could not believe.” His Excellency said. “All areas in Syria have the same importance, but what governs the priorities is the military situation on the ground,” President al-Assad added. President al-Assad asked the soldiers and officers he met to relay his greetings to their families who have been the most important factor in raising heroes who can protect and defend the homeland and make sacrifices for its sake and for the sake of its people.