Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Thursday that dozens of ISIS members were killed and their rocket launchers destroyed in an Israeli strike on their bases in the Golan Heights a day earlier.
This is the first time Moscow reveals details about a military operation conducted by the Israeli army on Syrian territories.
“A precision strike by jets and Israeli artillery destroyed ISIS terrorists and their rocket launchers,” the Russian ministry said.
The announcement came following reports of Russian resentment after Israel shot down a Syrian Sukhoi fighter jet, which Damascus had said was conducting military operations against ISIS positions in the province of Quneitra.
Meanwhile, political and security leaders in Lebanon mobilized to hold talks with a visiting Russian diplomatic and military delegation in charge of following up the issue of the Syrian refugees.
The Russian delegation, headed by the Special Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, arrived in Beirut on Thursday.
The first outcome of his visit was the establishment of a specialized tripartite committee representing Lebanon, Syria and Russia to coordinate a plan for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland through Syrian regime guarantees.
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon’s General Security, in addition to others would most likely represent Lebanon in the committee while Syria would be represented by head of the country’s National Security Agency Ali Mamlouk.
After meeting the Russian delegation at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, President Michel Aoun said Lebanon was ready to provide the necessary assistance to implement the Russian proposal for the return of the displaced Syrians.
For his part, Lavrentiev said that the Russian delegation discussed with the Lebanese officials the situation in the region, particularly in Syria, and its impact on the neighboring countries including Lebanon.
He said the Syrian regime was not able to provide much financial help to returnees and urged foreign donors to provide assistance, adding that the issue should not be politicized.
Lavrentiev described the delegation's talks with the Lebanese officials as "constructive and fruitful," noting that the total number of all Syrian refugees around the world is around 6.5 million, according to UN statistics.
The same delegation also met with PM-designate Saad Hariri and discussions focused on the proposals regarding the upcoming plan for the return of the displaced Syrians.
Meanwhile, head of the Syrian regime Bashar Assad told Russian media on Thursday that his regime's next priority would be retaking Idlib province.
Assad told the Tass news agency that rescue workers from the White Helmets group would be killed if they did not turn themselves in.
"Either they can lay down their arms as part of an amnesty ongoing for four or five years, or they will be liquidated like any other terrorist," he said.
