Control over Syrian areas held by the United States should be handed to the Syrian government, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, noting that there was no information yet about any relevant contacts between Washington and Damascus.

“The question emerges — who will receive control over the US-held Syrian territories? Obviously, in accordance with international law and taking into consideration what Syria and its people have been through, it should be the Syrian government. However, at present, we have no data on any contact between Washington and Damascus on this matter”, Zakharova said.

Commenting on statements of the US about moving to a new phase in the fight against terrorism after the withdrawal of its troops from Syria, the spokeswoman noted that it was still unclear if the Americans could “continue to conduct air strikes and limited ground military operations.”

The spokeswoman’s remarks come after US President Donal Trump announced ‘victory’ over ISIL on 19 December, adding that the fight against the terrorist group was the ‘only reason’ for the US to remain in Syria.

Shortly after the announcement, the White House said that the US would withdraw all its troops from Syria within 60 to 100 days.

However, the US-led coalition continues to launch airstrikes in Syria, in a campaign that was neither approved by the UN nor the Syrian government.

Source: Sputnik