Assad Wants ‘One Year to Destroy Weapons’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is committed to a plan to destroy his country’s chemical weapons but warned it could take about a year.

Speaking to Fox News, Mr Assad again denied claims that his forces were responsible for a deadly chemical attack near Damascus on 21 August.

The Syria disarmament plan was unveiled by the US and Russia last weekend.

The West wants the deal enshrined in a UN resolution backed by the threat of military force, but Russia objects.

Damascus – backed by Moscow – has insisted that rebel forces carried out last month’s attack in the Ghouta area.

In a separate development, fierce fighting has been reported between two rebel groups in the north of Syria.

Activists said the fighting began when jihadists from the al-Qaeda-linked group, the Islamic State of Iraq, and fighters from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) clashed in the town of Azaz, near the Turkish border.

This is believed to be one of the biggest confrontations so far between the jihadists and the FSA.

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