US says closely monitoring Syria as tensions rise in northwest

The US is closely monitoring the escalating situation in Syria, according to a statement Saturday from National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett.

The statement criticized the Assad regime for its refusal to engage in the political process outlined by UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254.

"The United States has nothing to do with this offensive, which is led by Hay'at Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization," it said.

Savett stressed that the US called for immediate de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and the initiation of a credible political process to end the Syrian civil war through a settlement aligned with UNSCR 2254.

"We will also continue to fully defend and protect U.S. personnel and U.S. military positions, which remain essential to ensuring that ISIS (Daesh) can never again resurge in Syria," he added.

Fighting erupted Nov. 27 between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups in the western countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria.

From Nov. 27 - 28, the anti-regime armed groups made rapid progress from the western countryside toward the city center, capturing much of it by Saturday.

The armed groups took control of Khan Shaykhun later Saturday, establishing control of all of Idlib.