Shamkhani in Damascus for Coordination

Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani arrived in Damascus on Sunday to meet Syrian officials.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival, Shamkhani said the trip is aimed at improving coordination among Iran, Russia and Syria, IRNA reported.

The Syrian Army has been battling foreign-backed militants attempting to bring down the government for nearly six years. Iran provides the Syrian Army with advisory services and Russia lends its air power to the anti-terror drive.

Shamkhani said the trio will continue consultations on political settlement of the conflict and cooperation to enhance combat capabilities of their forces.

“The liberation of Aleppo is a turning point in the crisis imposed on Syrians. Their resistance showed that [foreign-backed] terrorism cannot break the will of a nation,” he said.

Aleppo was liberated late last December, after a months-long operation by the Syrian Army led to encirclement of militants in a small pocket of the eastern part of the second biggest Syrian city.

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, is accompanying Shamkhani to Syria.