President Bashar Al-Assad has vowed to purge Syria of extremist forces he accused of assassinating a leading Muslim cleric who backed his two-year battle against rebels and protesters.

President Bashar Al-Assad has vowed to purge Syria of extremist forces he accused of assassinating a leading Muslim cleric who backed his two-year battle against rebels and protesters.

Assad made the pledge in a message of condolence over the death of Mohammed Al-Buti, who was killed along with dozens of worshippers by an explosion in a Damascus mosque on Thursday. Syrian forces pounded the rebel-held Deraya and Moadamiya in a bid to oust rebels from these areas.PTV WORLD NEWS