Assad vows to rid Syria of extremists![]() March 22, 2013 - 12:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria's president has vowed to rid the country of Muslim extremists whom he blamed for a suicide bombing that killed 42 people, including a top Sunni preacher, AP reported. Friday, March 21 statement by Bashar Assad came hours after the explosion ripped through a mosque in the heart of Damascus, killing Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti. It was one of the most stunning assassinations of the two-year civil war and the first time a suicide bomber struck inside a mosque. Al-Buti was a staunch supporter of Assad. More than 84 were wounded in the attack. In the statement carried by Syria's state news agency, Assad says al-Buti represented true Islam in facing "the forces of darkness and extremist" ideology. Assad says his forces will "wipe out" and "clean our country" of the attackers. Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert. On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. Partner news |