Assad accuses Israel of aiding al-Qaida militants

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused Israel of aiding the al-Qaida-linked rebels in Syria, according to the state news agency SANA.

"They (Israelis) are supporting the rebels in Syria. It's very clear. Because whenever we make advances in some place, they attack in order to undermine the army," Assad told the U.S. Foreign Affairs magazine in an interview whose excerpts were made available by SANA on Sunday.

Assad's remarks came days after Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike against a southern Syrian town, killing five fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah militants, who are fighting alongside the Syrian troops against the extremist groups.

"It's very clear. That's why some in Syria joke, how can you say that al Qaida doesn't have an air force? They have the Israeli air force," he said.

Assad also said that the it is "impossible" for the Syrian army to cover all of Syrian territory, yet he also said the Syrian troops made some advances in the past two years, and the Syrians people have rejected the terrorists.

Israel has repeatedly struck Syrian positions over the span of the country's long-running conflict under the pretext of hitting Hezbollah-bound weaponry.

However, Israel has yet to officially acknowledge any connections with last week's airstrikes.

Speaking to Israel's Army Radio recently, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon declined to confirm or deny Israel had carried out the attack, but said reinforcements had been sent to the north. Endit