Syria claims 'terrorists from 83 countries fighting in country'

Idea of there being moderate rebels in Syria dismissed

Terrorists from more than 83 countries are killing Syrian soldiers and civilians, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Muallem compared this invasion to the 9/11 attacks on New York.

Muallem accused well-known countries of backing terrorists fighting the Syrian government and of threatening blatant military aggression outside the mandate of the Security Council, the BBC reports.

He also dismissed the idea that there were moderate rebels in Syria, describing those fighting the Syrian government as terrorists.

In a separate interview with the BBC, he said international peace talks were vital for Syria's future.

He however said that proposed talks in Geneva cannot succeed while Turks, Saudis and Qataris are helping the rebels.

He reconfirmed to the United Nations that Syria intended to co-operate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which has been tasked with ensuring Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons is eliminated, the report added.