The Syrian government has rejected a final communiqué issued following the 14th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi city of Mecca, describing the presence of Iranian military advisors in the conflict-plagued Arab country as “legitimate and lawful.”

Syria’s Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari says military operations against terrorist factions in the militant-held province of Idlib are a sovereign right of the Arab country and liberating the northwestern region “will be the last nail in the coffin of terrorism.”