(MENAFN) The Syrian army will regain control of the country's north by force if rebels there reject to agree on peace plan, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with Russian television channel NTV on Sunday.
Assad's comments come after Damascus said it rejected the presence of Turkish and US forces around the northern town of Manbij, a day after soldiers of the two countries began patrolling the area.
"We have chosen two paths: the first and most important one is reconciliation". The second path is to attack terrorists if they don't surrender and refuse to make peace," Assad said in the interview.
"We will fight with them (rebels) and return control by force. It is certainly not the best option for us, but it"s the only way to get control of the country," said Assad, responding to a question about the northern part of Syria where rebel groups backed by Turkey hold some territory.
MENAFN2506201800450000ID1097066682
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.