Lakhdar Brahimi meets Syrian President Assad in Damascus

UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting on Monday, Brahimi said he had discussed with the Syrian president “many steps to be taken in the future” on how to resolve the unrest in Syria.

“We hope that all the parties will go toward the solution that the Syrian people are hoping for,” he stated.

The veteran Algerian diplomat crossed into Syria from Lebanon on Sunday and was received by Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad on his third visit to Damascus since he was appointed to his current position in August.
During the meeting, President Assad said he welcomed any diplomatic efforts that preserve Syria’s sovereignty and that serve the interests of Syrian people.

Meanwhile, fierce clashes continued between the Syrian army and foreign-backed militants across Syria.

On Sunday, dozens of people were killed in the northern town of Halfaya. Media reports said militants attacked a bakery in the town and killed a number of civilians, including women and children.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the turmoil.

A recent UN report has revealed that militants from nearly 30 countries have so far filtered into Syria to fight against the Syrian government, most of whom are extremist Salafists. Damascus has repeatedly said the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country.