“No solution can be reached with terror except by striking it with an iron fist,” Assad said in a speech on Syrian state television on Sunday.

The Syrian president went on to say that he does not “think that any sane human being would think that terrorism can be dealt with via politics.”

“There may be a role for politics in dealing with terrorism preemptively,” Assad stated, adding, however, that as soon as terrorism has arisen, it can only be struck out.

“There cannot be any political efforts or political progress if terror is striking everywhere. Therefore terror must be struck in order to get the political process moving on the right track.”

“That does not mean that there cannot be parallel tracks. There is no reason why we shouldn’t strike terror while at the same time working politically,” Assad added.

He also said that the economic problems in Syria “are linked to the security situation, and they can only be solved by striking terror.”

Referring to recent victories of the Syrian army against foreign-backed Takfiri militants, the president said that “in this kind of fight, we as Syrians either win together or lose together.”

Assad also said the army “has achieved the impossible.”

“There is only one kind of war that is bigger than guerrilla warfare, and that is a people’s war, one that is fought by the army alongside the citizens.”

“The hand of God is with those who stand together,” the Syrian president added.

“It is true that there is a battle being fought in the media and on (the Internet), but the crisis will only be solved on the battlefield,” he stated.

Syrian forces have recently conducted successful mop-up operations against Takfiris across the country, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions of others displaced due to the turmoil in Syria.

SHI/SHI