Syria demands rebels leave or get killed

DAMASCUS - Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said Monday that the armed rebels in Syria have two options "return to where they came from, or to be killed".

The minister's remarks came during a session of the ministerial committee tasked with implementing the political program outlined by President Bashar al-Assad recently.

According to the state-run SANA news agency, al-Halqi stressed that the Syrian people are determined to combat terrorism and restore security and stability to Syria.

He added that two options remain for the "mercenary terrorist groups" either to "return to where they came from, or be killed by the Syrian armed forces," indicating that the "government's doors are wide open to whoever wants to return to the right path".

The Syrian government has repeatedly said that thousands of foreign fighters affiliated with Jihadi groups are fighting in Syria alongside rebels.

Haitham al-Maleh, a leading opposition figure in exile, said recently that a total of 12,000 foreign fighters have joined the rebels in Syria.

Meanwhile, al-Halqi reiterated that the government is serious, honest and open to all political and social and opposition forces inside and outside Syria which believe in the national solution, indicating that the Syrian gunmen are becoming convinced that a major conspiracy is at play in Syria.