Damascus, Dec 1 (IANS): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held separate phone talks with leaders from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iraq on recent developments in Syria, counterterrorism cooperation, and various regional issues.

According to state news agency SANA, in his phone talks with President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, al-Assad stressed Syria's ongoing commitment to defending its stability and territorial integrity "in the face of all terrorists and their backers."

For his part, the UAE president said the country "stands with the Syrian state and supports it in combating terrorism, extending its sovereignty, unifying its territories, and achieving stability," Xinhua news agency reported quoting SANA.

Al-Assad also held phone talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, during which the latter stressed that "Syria's security and stability are closely linked to Iraq's national security."

Al-Sudani said the security in Iraq and Syria affects regional security and efforts to establish stability in the Middle East, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi prime minister's media office.

On Wednesday, a major rebel offensive rocked the western countryside of Syria's Aleppo, marking the first significant attack since 2016. The assault has involved a coalition of rebel groups, mainly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaida-linked extremist organisation, to penetrate government-held territories.

On Friday, the rebels successfully stormed parts of Aleppo after they were driven out of the city in 2016.

In response, the Syrian government, supported by Russia and Iran, launched airstrikes and ground operations to counter the rebel advance.