"The West has paid heavily for funding al-Qaeda in its early stages. Today it is doing the same in Syria, Libya and other places, and will pay a heavy price in the heart of Europe and the United States," said the Syrian president in a Wednesday interview with Syria’s al-Ikhbariya television station.

Assad also condemned measures taken by Turkey and certain Arab states to support anti-Syrian terrorists, and their attempts to start a sectarian civil war in the country.

He added that Jordan has allowed thousands of militants to enter Syria through its borders.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of Syrian army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

Damascus says the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the militants.