Defeating jihadists in Idlib is the key to ending Syria's eight-year-old civil war, President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday on his first visit to the embattled northwestern region since 2011.
"The battle of Idlib is the basis for resolving chaos and terrorism in all other areas of Syria," Assad's office quoted him as telling troops in the frontline town of Al-Hbeit.
It published a picture of the president surrounded by troops dressed in military fatigues, with maps hanging behind them.
His comments came as Syrian troops continued to deploy in parts of the north where they are supporting Kurdish forces to contain a Turkish invasion.
The developments on Syria's northern border "do not distract us from the importance of the Idlib front," Assad said.
He said his troops have completed preparations for an offensive in Idlib and "are now ready to receive and execute the order when the time is right."