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Russia urges Syrian opposition to steer clear of terrorism

03 October 2011 21:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russia on Monday strongly condemned terror attacks against civilians in Syria and urged the opposition to distance itself from these methods, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In a statement posted on its website, Russian Foreign Ministry said the killing of Saryah Hassoun, son of Syria’s grand mufti Ahmed Hassoun, and university professor Mohammad al-Omar, "is not the first crime of this kind."

"In recent weeks, there are a number of attacks on civilians and their family members who actively support the non-violent way out of the current crisis through negotiations," the ministry said.

Moscow strongly condemns these terror attacks and expresses condolences to the victim’s relatives, it said.

The ministry urged all constructive forces in the Syrian opposition to decisively distance themselves from terror methods and violence and to start a dialogue with the authorities.

Syria has been mired in unrest since mid-March when anti-government protests broke out in the southern province of Daraa and spread to other cities.