UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th January, 2020) The United States is prepared to designate foreign contractors, mercenaries and paramilitary groups working in Syria on behalf of the Syrian, Russian and Iranian governments, acting US Ambassador to the United Nations Cherith Norman said during a UN Security Council meeting.
"Those allies of the regime participating on the assault on Idlib, the United States is fully prepared to level sanctions - in accordance with the recently signed CEASER bill - against foreign military contractors, mercenaries or paramilitary forces that are knowingly operating in a military capacity inside Syria for the government of Syria, Russia or Iran," Norman said on Wednesday.
Norman emphasized that the United States will maintain economic and diplomatic pressure on the Assad government until it makes the reforms outlined in the UN Security Council resolution to resolve the conflict in Syria.
On Tuesday, a Syrian military source told Sputnik that government forces regained control of the strategically important city of Maarat al-Numan in the Idlib province.
The Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syria reconciliation announced on Saturday that three humanitarian corridors have been opened to provide care for those seeking to leave the Idlib de-escalation zone.
A large portion of the Idlib de-escalation zone, which was one of four safe zones established under an agreement reached at the May 2017 Astana-format talks, is still controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terror group, formerly known as the Nusra Front (banned in Russia).
