Syria says it’s ready to fight for Idlib

Amman, Damascus reopen Nassib border crossing

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s foreign minister said on Monday that Syrian forces stand ready to fight jihadists around the northwestern region of Idlib if a Russian-Turkish deal is not implemented there the same day, in keeping with a critical deadline.

The deal for Idlib sets up a buffer zone running 15-20 km. into rebel territory that must be evacuated of all heavy weapons and all jihadists by Monday.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said it was up to Russia now to judge whether the agreement, which staved off a government offensive on the last notable swath of territory in insurgent hands after seven years of war, was being fulfilled.

“Our armed forces are ready around Idlib to eradicate terrorism if the Idlib agreement is not implemented,” al-Moualem said at a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Damascus.

“Idlib, as any other province, has to return to Syrian sovereignty. We prefer to have it through peaceful means, through reconciliation, but if not there [are] other options.”

Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance spearheaded by al-Qaeda’s former Syrian affiliate, signaled on Sunday that it would abide by the terms of the deal, although it did not explicitly say so.

Also, the border crossing between Jordan and Syria opened to people and goods on Monday after being closed for three years, reopening a route that used to carry billions of dollars of trade for countries across the region.

The Nassib crossing opened at 8 a.m., a Jordanian border official said. By the afternoon Reuters had seen a Syrian business delegation cross into Jordan, and a couple of dozen civilians leave Jordan, but no trucks yet in either direction. “We are fully ready to receive passengers and transport of goods,” Imad Riyalat, head of the Jaber checkpoint said. “We expect the traffic to be slow now at the start, but in coming days we expect passenger movement to pick up.”