MOSCOW. Jan 29 (Interfax) - The Syrian army has carried out strikes on militants in the Idlib de-escalation area very selectively; civilians were not hurt and civilian facilities were not damaged, the Russian military said.
"It is exclusively positions, military hardware, and concentrations of militants that were hit. Strikes were delivered with the utmost selectiveness and accuracy," head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria Maj. Gen. Yury Borenkov said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
"Civilians and civil infrastructure were not affected," Borenkov said.
The Syrian army's operations were carried out in retaliation to terrorist attacks, he said. Borenkov identified "the defeat of extremist groups, which are concentrated in western suburbs of the Aleppo city, as well as in the area of the cities of Maarat al-Numan and Serakab in the Idlib province" as the goal of the Syrian army's counteroffensive.