Syrian regime demands withdrawal of all 'unauthorised foreign forces'

"The United States and Turkey maintain an illegal military presence in northern Syria," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told the UN General Assembly on Saturday. 

"Any foreign forces operating in our territories without our authorisation are occupying forces and should withdraw immediately.”

Over more than eight years, Syria's devastating civil war has drawn numerous foreign militaries and thousands of foreign fighters battling for power.

Syrian regime President Bashar al-Assad has regained control over large swathes of Syria with critical help from Iran and Russia.

Moscow intervened in the war in 2015 to help turn back a series of defeats for the Assad regime.

Iran has made an enormous effort to keep Assad in power and has provided extensive military and financial support throughout the eight-year war.

Most of the country has returned to government control. But rebels still hold Idlib in the northwest, and the oil-rich northeast is held by US-backed Kurdish groups.