paris attacks result of france s flawed middle east policy bashar al assad

Paris/Cairo: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday said that West's ‘flawed' policies in Syria especially that of France was partly to blame for rise of Islamic State.

His statement came amid the worldwide condemnation of a series of attacks in Paris on Friday night that took at least 127 lives and injured scores of others.

Islamic State has claimed the responsibility for a coordinated assault by gunmen and bombers across the French capital. President Francois Hollande said that the attacks amounted to an act of war against France.

France had launched air strikes against Islamic State in Syria in September, saying it wanted to prevent the terrorist group from carrying out attacks against French interests and protect Syrian civilians.

While condemning the Paris attacks, Assad said, “The flawed policies pursued by Western countries and especially France as regards what is happening in our region ... contributed to the spread of terrorism."

"What France suffered from savage terror is what the Syrian people have been enduring," he said.

Assad has long blamed policies of the US and its Westerns allies for the rise of Islamic State and had warned that they would end up paying dearly for aiding rebels who had been fighting against his government since 2011.

Earlier in the day Islamic State claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris by releasing an online statement.

The statement by the group was issued in Arabic and French.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the authenticity of the statement, but it bore the group's logo and resembled previous statements issued by the group.

This came after the terror group released undated video threatening attacks on France if airstrikes on its fighters in Iraq and Syria did not stop.

According to news agency Reuters, in this ISIS video made by its media arm Al-Hayat Media Centre, a militant is seen asking French Muslims to carry out attacks.

"As long as you keep bombing you will not live in peace. You will even fear traveling to the market," said an Arabic speaking militant in the video.

French President Francois Hollande had earlier blamed the Islamic State group for orchestrating the deadliest attacks inflicted on France since World War II and vowed Saturday to strike back without mercy at what he called "an act of war."

Hollande said at least 127 people died Friday night in shootings at Paris cafes, suicide bombings near France's national stadium and a hostage-taking slaughter inside a concert hall.

President Francois Hollande has declared the state of emergency on all mainland territory and Corsica during a Cabinet meeting urgently summoned at the Elysee palace on Friday night.

"The second measure will be the closure of national borders," Hollande said.

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