Assad 'sure of victory' over the opposition

Published August 1st, 2013 - 07:18 GMT
Syrian President Bashar Assad told his supporters that he is confident in their ability to remove the rebels. Assad is seen here in Paris in 2008. (Getty)
Syrian President Bashar Assad told his supporters that he is confident in their ability to remove the rebels. Assad is seen here in Paris in 2008. (Getty)

Syrian President Bashar al Assad released an Army Day message on Thursday in which he told his supporters that he is confident that his troops will be victorius over the rebels. 

In the message, which ran on SANA, the Syrian state news agency, President Assad said "If we in Syria were not sure of victory, we would not have had the will to resist nor been able to persevere in the face of more than two years of aggression", according to AFP.

"I have great faith in you and confidence in your ability to... fulfill the national mission that has been assigned to you," Assad told those loyal to him in the broadcasted message.

"You have shown rare courage in the battle against terrorism and you have impressed the whole world with your resistance... in one of the most brutal and ferocious wars of modern history," he said.

Assad's speech comes as troops loyal to his regime secured the Al Khaldieh district of the central city of Homs earlier this week with the help of Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. 

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