Damascus Sep 3 (IANS) Iran s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday to hold talks with President Bashar al-Assad ahead of a tripartite meeting between Turkey Iran and Russia on the situation in Syria.

Zarif told the media that the militants of the Levant Liberation Committee (LLC) also known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front must leave Syria s Idlib province the last major rebel bastion in Syria Xinhua news agency reported.

The summit that will take place in Tehran on Friday will discuss ways to confront the extremist groups including the Nusra Front. Coordination to continue the political process and counter-terrorism in Syria will also be discussed he said.

"After the victories achieved by the resistance front (Syria Iran Hezbollah) against the extremist groups in Syria it s about time to rebuild this country and the countries of the strategic alliance with Syria are contributing to this matter " Zarif said.

Syria s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said that the liberation of Idlib is the major subject at the tripartite summit in Tehran.

--IANS mag/sed