All Syrian Terrorist Groups Receive Weapons, Tasks From Abroad – Russian MoD

“Let’s take Syria, for example. Before Russia stepped in the war on the side of the Syrian government, the country had been waging an undeclared war for its right for existence,” Gerasimov said.

“We can’t say when exactly these internal disturbances overgrew into a war,” the official added.

Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said that US special operations forces and other military units had contributed to the creation of a safe haven for terrorists in western Syria.
The US, which entered Syria without getting the go-ahead from the country’s authorities, has repeatedly been accused of supporting terrorists there. Russia, for its part, is in Syria at the behest of President Bashar Assad and has added considerably to destroying the terrorist group Daesh* (ISIS) in the country.
On Situation in Eastern Ghouta
Almost 5,000 militants and their family members have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Harasta located in Damascus suburbs area of Eastern Ghouta to the northwestern province of Idlib, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

“Overall 4,979 militants and their family members have been evacuated from the settlement of Harasta to the Idlib province,” the statement read.

According to the statement, a new humanitarian corridor has been opened in Eastern Ghouta on Saturday near the settlement of Irbin to let the militants and their families evacuated from the city.
The situation in Eastern Ghouta has been tense over the past months, resulting in ongoing shelling by local militants of Damascus and fire from the Syrian pro-government forces. Damascus says it opens fire in response to shelling from Eastern Ghouta, but Western countries are accusing the Syrian government and Russia of being responsible for the escalation of tensions in the area.
sputnik