US National Security Adviser Susan Rice made the assertion in a Friday interview with CNN cable network during which she claimed Washington has expanded its support for the so-called “moderate opposition” groups that have been terrorizing the Arab nation for more than three years.

“The United States has ramped up its support for the moderate vetted opposition, providing lethal and non-lethal support where we can to support both the civilian opposition and the military opposition,” Rice said.

The Obama administration has further stated that it is working with Congress on ramping up support for the foreign-sponsored insurgents in Syria. The US has so far supplied hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the armed and often ruthless militants.

US officials, meanwhile, have refused to state whether Rice was referring to a new American approach toward Syria. They have also declined to comment on the details of the increased support to the armed insurgents.

The development comes as earlier reports indicated that the American military is preparing to begin training missions for the insurgents.

Syria has been gripped by a foreign-hatched insurgency war since March 2011. An estimated 150,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by the insurgents.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

This is while President Assad was elected on Wednesday as Syria’s head of state in the country's first presidential vote since the unrest broke out three years ago. He won 88.7 percent of the vote, or 10,319,723 of 11,634,412 ballots cast in Tuesday’s election process.

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