Syria declares it has defeated revolt [View all]
Source: AFP
DAMASCUS — Syria declared Saturday it had defeated those seeking to bring down the regime while reiterating support for a UN-Arab peace plan, as its troops reportedly shelled rebels in the flashpoint city of Homs.
Foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi, cited by the official SANA news agency, also said that Syrian troops would withdraw from urban areas once they had been stabilized.
The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the crackdown by forces of President Bashar al-Assad on an Arab Spring-inspired uprising that began a year ago with pro-democracy protests.
"The battle to topple the state is over, and the battle to solidify stability . . . and move on towards a renewed Syria has begun," Makdisi said in an interview originally carried on state television.
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