Russia: Syrian Army’s Operation in Quseir Targets Terrorism

Local Editor

Russia said on Monday it blocked a UN Security Council declaration on the Syrian government offensive to retake of the town of Quseir over the weekend because it amounted to a demand for a unilateral ceasefire by government forces.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich described what is happening in Quseir, which has been the scene of intense fighting between rebels and government forces two weeks, as a "counter terrorist operation."

At the Security Council on Saturday, diplomats said Russia blocked a draft statement circulated by Britain that voiced grave concern about the situation in Quseir and urged both sides to avoid civilian casualties.

It called on the government to "exercise its responsibility to protect civilians" and give aid workers access to trapped residents.
Lukashevich said this draft amounted to "a demand for the unilateral ceasefire by the Syrian military and passage out for bandits surrounded in several neighborhoods of the town."

"It can hardly be called timely to propose raising the voice of the international community in a situation when the Syrian army is completing a counter terrorist operation against militants who terrorized the population of Quseir for months without restraint," he said.

Lukashevich further noted that "no one drew attention to the suffering of Quseir's residents because of the practices of the armed groups."

In parallel, the Russian diplomat stressed his country's firm stance which highlights the necessity of halting all forms of violence in Syria and ending the suffering of citizens, in addition to shifting to the peaceful political settlement based on Geneva Communiqué issued last June and the Russian-US accord which was reached on May 7th in Moscow.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team