The Syrian authorities earlier announced the beginning of a large-scale operation to liberate the province of Idlib, the last remaining terrorist stronghold in the country
Commenting on the ongoing war in Syria and the looming operation in Idlib, Merkel told RTL that it was necessary to “make attempts” to fight radical forces, “but at the same time to protect civilians, which will be a very big, important task.”
The chancellor further revealed that she had discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and also stressing the need to “avoid a humanitarian catastrophe” in the war-torn country.