Russia recommends its citizens leave Syria in the face of the advances of jihadist and rebel groups

MADRID Dec. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Russian authorities have recommended this Friday to their citizens in Syria to leave the country in the face of the rapid advance of jihadist and rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in the large-scale offensive launched last week against government troops.

“Due to the difficult military and political situation in Syria, the Russian Embassy in Damascus reminds Russian citizens living in Syria of the possibility of leaving the country on commercial flights through operational airports,” the diplomatic legation said in a statement. short message on your Telegram account.

Russia, one of Syria’s main allies, has carried out bombings in recent days to try to contain the offensive launched on November 27 from Idlib, although jihadists and rebels have made important territorial advances, taking Aleppo and Hama and threatening Homs.

The offensive, which is actually two combined — ‘Deterring Aggression, launched by HTS, and ‘Dawn of Freedom,’ led by Syrian rebels — is the first large-scale since Turkish and Russian presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, respectively, will agree on a ceasefire in 2020 after months of fighting.