In his first interview in nearly half a year, Syrian president Bashar Assad claimed his regime has captured foreign mercenaries who were fighting for the opposition in a bid to show his forces are fighting terrorists rather than pro-democracy activists.Assad spoke in an interview broadcast on Russian state news channel Rossiya-24, signalling he has no intention of softening his position despite an international peace plan that includes a ceasefire.
He said the decision by the Syrian National Council to boycott parliamentary elections earlier this year discredited the opposition group.
"To call for boycotting the elections, that's the equivalent of calling for a boycott of the people," Assad said. "And how can you boycott the people of whom you consider yourself the representative?
"So I don't think that they have any kind of weight or significance within Syria," Assad said in remarks translated into Russian. Read More
