DAMASCUS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the Western countries of politicizing the humanitarian situation in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, according to the state news agency SANA.
In a statement, the ministry said the Western countries keep on politicizing the humanitarian situation in Idlib in a way that serves their interests without caring about civilians losing their lives and homes.
It said the Western countries blame the Syrian forces for the humanitarian situation in Idlib, ignoring the crimes committed by the Turkey-backed rebels.
Such double-standard shows the size of "hypocrisy and lies in the policies of such countries," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the statement urged the international community and European officials to take a "truthful stance and to let go of their colonial agendas" regarding what's happening in Syria.
The statement also reminded the Western countries that fighting terrorism is the Syrian army's right, as the army is fighting "terrorist groups" headed by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which is the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.
The statement comes in the wake of Western condemnation of the Syrian army's campaign in Idlib.
European countries are concerned about a new wave of displacement from Idlib, as nearly 1 million people reportedly fled their homes since December when the army started the operation to liberate certain areas in Idlib.
Idlib is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria and it's largely run by the HTS and other Turkey-backed rebel groups.
