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Syria crisis: Assad 'needs time to win battle'
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the government needs more time to "win the battle" against rebel forces.
In an interview with pro-government al-Dunya TV, Mr Assad also dismissed as "unrealistic" the idea of creating humanitarian buffer zones within Syria.
Meanwhile violence continues in key areas, with shelling reported in the capital, Damascus, Aleppo, and the north-western province of Idlib.
James Robbins reports.
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