Syria's Assad says his enemies increasing support for insurgents

Syrian President Bashar al Assad told a senior Iranian official on Sunday that his adversaries had increased weapon supplies and financial support to insurgents since the start of a major offensive aided by his allies to regain lost territory.

Assad was quoted by state media as telling Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, that the military support his country was getting from Iran and Russia had pushed the enemy states he did not name to "further escalate and increase financing and equipping of terrorists".

The Syrian army said on Saturday that Turkey had increased supplies of weapons, ammunition and equipment to what it described as terrorists in Syria.

The senior Iranian official was quoted as saying that his country would continue to support Syria as the war "against terror was a decisive one for the region and the world".

Assad said the defeat of rebel groups fighting to topple his rule was a prerequisite for the "success of any political solution decided by Syrians".

A Syrian military source told Reuters last week rebels were making heavy use of U.S.-made anti-tank missiles paid for by Saudi Arabia and supplied via Turkey and the weapons were having an impact on the battlefield.

The so-called TOW missile is the most potent weapon in the arsenal of rebel groups and has been seen in action more frequently since Russia intervened with air strikes on Syria on Sept 30.

 

 

 

REUTERS