Date: Sep 3, 2018 Source: The Daily Star Militants must be 'cleaned out' of Idlib: Zarif Reuters Militants must be "cleaned out" of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday at the start of a visit to Damascus, according to Fars News. Iranian forces have backed Syrian President Bashar Assad in the country's civil war. "All of Syrian territory must be preserved and all the sects and groups should start the round of reconstruction as one collective and the displaced should return to their families," Zarif said, according to Fars. "And the remaining terrorists in the remaining parts of Idlib must be cleaned out and the region should be placed back under the control of the Syrian people." Zarif traveled to Damascus Monday for talks with Syrian officials, the Tasnim news agency reported. Last week, Iran's defense minister traveled to Damascus and signed an agreement for defense cooperation between the two countries with his Syrian counterpart.