MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. Russia stands in solidarity with the Syrian people and leadership amid the escalating hostilities in the country and strongly supports efforts by the authorities to combat terrorists and restore peace, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

"We express our solidarity with the leadership of Syria and its people in this difficult situation. We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria. We fully support the Syrian authorities’ efforts to combat terrorist groups and restore constitutional order," she said.

The spokeswoman noted that Russia has been actively working with its international partners to reach the stabilization of the situation in the country as soon as possible and will primarily utilize the potential of the Astana format. "Foreign ministers of the three guarantor countries, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, are in close communication," she stressed, also expressing hope that all countries with influence on the situation in Syria will use it to achieve the early return of stability.

The talks on the Syrian settlement were first held in the Kazakh capital in January 2017. The Astana format includes Russia, Iran, and Turkey as guarantor countries for the process to resolve the crisis.

Early on November 27, units of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (banned in Russia) conducted a massive attack in northern Syria. The Syrian army launched an operation to counter the raid. On November 30, the country’s armed forces command stated that the army was carrying out strikes on the positions of terrorists who had managed to infiltrate several neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo. According to the Syrian Defense Ministry’s statement, the army was forced to reorganize its forces to protect the lives of civilians and troops and prepare for a counteroffensive.