Riyadh announced on Monday its decision to host the Syrian opposition factions plenary meeting between Nov. 22 and 24.
The Saudi Press Agency SPA said that the meeting proceeds from the Saudi political stance of supporting all efforts exerted to bring about peace and confront terrorism in Syria.
Riyadh’s 3-day conference also comes in response to the Syrian opposition request to hold a plenary meeting that could unify platforms and joint negotiating delegation to resume direct negotiations in Geneva, under the auspices of the UN.
Separately, Moscow on Monday did not deny promising Washington to remove Iran’s militias and “Hezbollah” from southern Syria.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional economic summit in Vietnam Saturday and agreed to an extensive statement on the conflict stipulating that the Russian side would work to remove “foreign forces” from the de-escalation zone in southwest Syria, or the border area between Syria, Jordan and Israel.
When asked by reports to clarify whether Iranian-backed militias would be removed from the mentioned areas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed nor denied the news.
Peskov’s comments came as Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would military act in Syria when necessary.
“I have informed our friends, firstly in Washington and also our friends in Moscow, that Israel will act in Syria, including in southern Syria, according to our understanding and according to our security needs,” Netanyahu said in public remarks to members of his right-wing Likud party in parliament.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arabs and Kurds, said on Monday its forces captured al-Tank oil field in eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.
The SDF also said they killed 19 ISIS militants east the Euphrates River as an explosion shook on Monday the nearby city of Deir Ezzor.
Also, tens of civilians were killed and injured by airstrikes launched on the city of Atareb in northern Aleppo
