‘Syria must stop terrorists from fleeing to Turkey’

The Syrian army is moving closer to fully liberating the city of Aleppo from the clutch of armed terrorist groups. Government forces have now urged the displaced residents of Aleppo’s liberated districts to come back home as the military is advancing to control more areas of the flash-point city. Army helicopters have dropped leaflets on eastern Aleppo, warning the Takfiri mercenaries to lay down their arms and surrender.  We’ve asked Jim W. Dean, managing editor of the Veterans Today, to give us his analysis of the latest developments in Aleppo.

Dean has told Press TV that the Syrian government should be watchful of the Turkish support for the militants who may escape the ongoing conflict in eastern Aleppo and pass into Turkey to rearm for future attacks.

The situation that allows the militants to save their lives and leave the city is worrying because they may end up in Turkey, Dean said.

He added that “the only way they [terrorists] have to go is north to Turkey [where the Turks] basically take them to rest in relaxation camps, get them fed, re-clothed and armed, and probably send them back to Idlib.”

He also warned that “they (terrorists) are just going to have to fight them (Syrian forces) down there (Idlib). But that’s going to allow the Syrian army to take over the city and then all of the forces that have been tied up there, can now turn around and start attacking some of the other [terrorist] formations in the rear. And then also be able to face off with the Turks, let them know that they’re going to face the Syrian army if they plan on taking a lot of northern Syria territory.”

However, the analyst said, “If the city (Aleppo) falls to the Syrian forces, hopefully the [terrorists] will lose a lot of manpower.”

Pointing to the future scenario once Aleppo is recaptured, he said, the Syrian government will provide citizens with supplies and encourage them to return to their homes.

According to Dean, people will go back to their homes and cities all over Syria but “Aleppo will really be the focal point.”

He further noted that Russian forces are going to demine areas in eastern Aleppo to pave the ground for the residents’ safe return.

Ruling out allegations that Aleppo is turning into a mass grave, he said that Syrian government forces are trying to “bring the city back to life [to serve] as an example” for other parts of the war-stricken country.

Syrian military forces and their allies, backed by Russia’s airpower, are conducting a major offensive against Takfiri militants to liberate the eastern parts of Aleppo.

Syria has been gripped by a fierce militancy since March 2011, which has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and millions more homeless.