US Hopes to Settle Tensions in Syria's Idlib Via Diplomatic Means - Secretary of State

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th September, 2018) The United States hopes to settle the tensions in the Syrian province of Idlib via diplomatic means without putting lives of many civilians at risk, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters.

"It is not the way to do that [fight terrorism] to put the lives of all these innocent civilians at risk and create a humanitarian crisis, and I think that's what you saw the President [Donald Trump] saying last night was we're happy to work on the terrorism issue in this place ... We are hoping that this can be resolved diplomatically," Pompeo said on late Tuesday.

Idlib province is one of Syria's de-escalation zones and a remaining stronghold of the insurgency in the country. The situation in the province has recently escalated with Moscow and Damascus suggesting that militants are planning to stage a false-flag chemical attack against civilians there to frame the Syrian government. On Monday, Trump called on the Syrian government as well as Russia and Iran to prevent the Syrian army's possible offensive in Idlib.