Syria demands foreign fighters leave or get killed

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Prime Minister Wael al- Halqi said Monday that the armed rebels in Syria have two options "return to where they came from, or to be killed."

The minister's remarks came during a session of the ministerial committee tasked with implementing the political program outlined by President Bashar al-Assad recently.

According to the state-run SANA news agency, al-Halqi stressed that the Syrian people are determined to combat terrorism and restore security and stability to Syria.

He added that two options remain for the "mercenary terrorist groups" either to "return to where they came from, or be killed by the Syrian armed forces," indicating that the "government's doors are wide open to whoever wants to return to the right path."

The Syrian government has repeatedly said that thousands of foreign fighters affiliated with Jihadi groups are fighting in Syria alongside rebels.

Haitham al-Maleh, a leading opposition figure in exile, said recently that a total of 12,000 foreign fighters have joined the rebels in Syria.

Meanwhile, al-Halqi reiterated that the government is serious, honest and open to all political and social and opposition forces inside and outside Syria which believe in the national solution, indicating that the Syrian gunmen are becoming convinced that a major conspiracy is at play in Syria.

Syrian PM survives blast targeting his convoy

Source : Xinhua

DAMASCUS, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Prime Minister Wael al- Halqi has escaped unharmed from a blast that targeted his convoy in Damascus earlier on Monday and killed at least eight people, pro-government al- Ekhbaria TV reported.

The explosion has targeted al-Halqi's convoy in Damascus' western neighborhood of al-Mazzeh near the Electricity Directorate and close to a park and a school, local media said, adding that many others were wounded.

One of al-Halqi's escorts is believed to have been killed in the attack, reports said, adding that big material losses were also caused to nearby buildings and cars.

The high-profile assassination attempt is the latest in a series of plots that have targeted Syrian officials and army officers.

Last December, the rebels staged a blast near the Interior Ministry in Damascus, targeting Interior Minister Let. Gen. Mohammad al-Shaar. The minister survived the attack, but sustained serious injuries before recovering in a hospital in neighboring Lebanon.

A deadly attack last July killed four Syrian officials and was considered as the harshest blow against the administration of President Bashar al-Assad. Those killed including Defense Minister Dawood Rajiha, Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, who is Assad 's brother-in-law, and Hasan Turkmani, Assad's security adviser.