The fall of Aleppo to Syrian forces marked a turning point in the war against ISIS in Syria (File)
India has agreed to support Syria in fighting the ISIS group while the West Asian nation will share intelligence about the terrorist group's networks with India, the Home Ministry said in a statement yesterday.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh in an hour-long meeting with the grand mufti of the Syrian Republic Ahmad Badr Eddine Mohammad Abid Hassoun in New Delhi assured India's support to Syria in fighting the ISIS, the statement said.
"The Home Minister welcomed the grand mufti and discussion was held on wide ranging issues including terrorism and security," the statement said.
Mr Singh raised the issue of several Indians joining the ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the statement said.
He also said he was confident that bilateral ties between the two nations will improve as top officials visit each other for talks. "The home minister conveyed to the visiting signatory that he hopes peace and stability is restored in Syria soon," an official said.
The official said the Syrian leader thanked Mr Singh and appreciated the secular credentials of India. "The grand mufti was particularly pleased to note the significance of unity in diversity in India," the Home Ministry said in the statement.
During the meeting, the grand mufti spoke about the evil that terrorism is and recalled the killing of his son by terrorists and how he forgave the assassin, an official said.
In recent months, US-led coalition forces have expelled ISIS fighters from its key Iraq strongholds of Mosul and Tal Afar and they are close to eliminating it in Raqa, Syria.
This has forced the remnants of the ISIS group down into the middle Euphrates River valley where a last-stand siege is expected.
Russia sent its Air Force in September 2015 after Syria sought its help in fighting the ISIS. The Russian air campaign was effective as it helped Syrian forces regain ground, and eventually Syrian government forces managed to take control of Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria after capital Damascus.