Will not give up: Syrian rebel chief ahead of uprising anniversary

Beirut: The chief of Syria’s main Western-backed rebel group has vowed to continue fighting until President Bashar Assad’s “criminal” regime is gone. Gen Salim Idris’s remarks on Friday were meant to mark the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising. [caption id=“attachment_663209” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Image for representation only. AFP[/caption] Idris calls on regime soldiers to join the rebels in a “fight for freedom and democracy” and says his fighters in the Free Syrian Army “will not give up.” He says the opposition’s task is “not easy” but pledged to continue despite his fighters suffering severe weapons shortages. The head of the Supreme Military Council spoke from a location inside Syria through video, addressing the Syrian people. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the video through the group’s media office. AP