海角大神

鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he is 鈥渇ighting a battle both regionally and internationally,鈥� and his government needs more time to defeat rebel forces.

Mr. Assad's comments, made in an interview with pro-government al-Dunya TV, coincided with a renewed government effort to regain control of rebel-held areas in northern Syria and renewed interest in the international community in creating a "safe zone" inside Syria.

BBC reports that Assad said his forces were 鈥渄oing a heroic job in every sense,鈥� and that "Everyone is worried about their country 鈥� that is normal. But [the rebels] will not be able to spread fear, they never will."

The interview was reportedly conducted from the presidential palace in Damascus 鈥� the first confirmation of Assad's location since a July bombing in the capital killed four of his senior officials.

"I say to Syrians: Destiny is in your hands, and not in the hands of others,鈥� Assad said.

For Syrian refugees, that sentiment may be difficult to grasp. The battle for Aleppo has lasted for more than a month now, and the overall conflict has entered its 18th聽month. Fighting between the government and rebels has disproportionately affected civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Agence France-Presse reports that, according to the human rights group,聽189 people were killed in Syria yesterday, 143 of whom were civilians.

Up to 5,000 refugees have crossed into Turkey聽every day over the past two weeks, and the number of Syrians fleeing the conflict for a camp in northern Jordan has doubled, reaching 10,200 over the past week, Reuters reports. The United Nations estimates that up to 200,000 Syrian refugees could end up settling in Turkey alone.

Jordan is already sheltering an estimated 150,000 Syrians, some of whom have reported 鈥渂eing bombed as they were trying to cross鈥� the border, according to Voice of America.

A Turkish official told the Associated Press that one of four new camps being built in Turkey opened late yesterday, which allowed Turkish authorities to let in several thousand more Syrians who were waiting at the border.

Parts of the border were temporarily closed this week due to an unmanageable influx of refugees, Reuters reports, and refugees had to be held on the Syrian side overnight. The humanitarian crisis is only expected to grow.聽

The overwhelming number of Syrians attempting to enter Turkey and Jordan has renewed international interest in creating 鈥渂uffer zone鈥� within Syria where refugees can seek haven. Turkey is expected to push for a solution at a UN meeting in New York tomorrow,聽海角大神 reports.

In his interview with al-Dunya, however, Assad dismissed any chance of setting up havens to shelter refugees within Syria. 鈥淭alk of buffer zones firstly is not on the table and secondly it is an unrealistic idea by hostile countries and the enemies of Syria," he said.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius acknowledged that part of setting up a buffer zone would include creating a no-fly zone and deploying ground forces, according to BBC.

But if Assad feels there are international powers working against him, he can expect continued support from one ally: Iran.聽Yesterday, Iran publicly stated it will send members of its elite Revolutionary Guard聽to Syria to help Assad, reports Fox News.

This military support comes as many Syrian soldiers defect or declare themselves unwilling to fire their weapons on protesters or suspected rebels.

According to the BBC, Assad mocked government officials and military members who have defected in recent months, saying their actions were a result of 鈥渟elf-cleansing of the government firstly, and the country generally."