Lionel Messi and Barcelona team-mates 'sent secret signals to Syria's gun-smuggling rebels during El Clásico', claims state TV



World's best footballer, Andres Iniesta and Pedro said to reveal best route for arms into country by their dribbling



Ridiculous theory comes as anti-regime crackdown continues across Syria

Conflict could have 'global repercussions', says UN

Syrian government now shelling its own capital of Damascus



Barcelona's footballing superstars sent secret signals to Syria's gun-smuggling rebels during a match, the beleaguered nation's state TV has astonishingly claimed.

Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro were said to reveal the best way to bring arms into Syria during an El Clásico encounter against Real Madrid.

In the outrageous Addounia channel footage World Cup winning midfielder Iniesta is said to portray the first part of the route, when arms are loaded from Lebanon.



He passes to Messi who dribbles around several of the European Champions arch-rival's stars before setting up a goal for Pedro.

Scroll down to see video...



Outrageous: Ridiculous claims have said Barcelona star Lionel Messi (left) is helping Syrian rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad (right) from power



Secret code: The way Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates play gave tips to Syrian rebels, it was claimed

His run, it is claimed, can be deciphered as a secret code used by rebels who can then draw a route into Syria by tracking the direction of the dribbles, passes and shot.

The running commentary says: 'Here we see the first stage where arms are loaded from Lebanon.



'Then they pass through Homs and are delivered to another terrorist. We also see how they warn that they will face some obstacles until they reach Dayr Al Zawr.

'Then they are transported by bus to the final destination, located in Al Magadin.'

Start of the move: Andres Iniesta starting of the move is said to signify the arms being unloaded out of Lebanon

Dribble sign: Messi's run, through his Real Madrid opponents, signifies how the rebels will face 'some obstacles' until they reach Dayr Al Zawr

End move: The goal, by Pedro, is decoded as the arms being transported by bus to the final destination, in Al Magadin

The staggering allegation is believed by some to be an elaborate hoax, while others see it as government propaganda.

MESSI BREAKS RECORD TO BECOME BARCELONA'S TOP SCORER

The ridiculous claims of Lionel Messi's co-operation with Syrian rebeal came as he became Barcelona's all-time record scorer.

The 24-year-old Argentine ace (right) set the record last night in the 5-3 La Liga match against Granada at the Nou Camp.

He equalled the mark of 232 official goals set by Cesar Rodriguez during the 1940s and 50s when he slotted home Isaac Cuenca's cross in the 17th minute.

The then secured the record outright in the 68th minute when he lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

The 24-year-old completed his hat-trick - his eighth of the season for Barcelona - in the 86th minute after rounding the keeper and slamming the ball into the roof of the net.

The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year has scored an incredible 48 goals in 40 games for the Catalan giants this season. In his Barcelona career, he has netted an incredible 234 goals in 314 games. in just over seven years. Rodriguez took 13 years to rack up his impressive tally.



Still more think the crazy claims about the European Champions, sponsored by Qatar Foundation, were produced by the rebels in a bid to make dictator Bashar Assad look foolish. Professor Mark Almond, of Oxford University, told the Sun: 'If I were a Syrian rebel, or someone sympathetic to them, I might make such a video to show the world how silly the Assad regime is.'

The astonishing claims came as fresh violence erupted outside the capital Damascus, and in two of its suburbs, Hasrata and Irbin, and in the south, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said the 'extremely dangerous' conflict could have global repercussions.

The uprising that began a year ago has transformed into an armed insurgency that is pushing the country closer to a civil war.



Because of Syria's close alliances with Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, there are deep concerns that the violence could spread beyond its borders, especially if other nations arm the rebels or send in their own troops.

Ban said: 'We do not know how events will unfold. But we do know that we all have a responsibility to work for a resolution of this profound and extremely dangerous crisis.

'A crisis that has potentially massive repercussions for the region and the world.'



The rebel Free Syrian Army, which includes thousands of army defectors, is the most potent armed group challenging the regime. But the group is outgunned and disorganised.

Still, few countries are even considering arming the opposition, out of fear that it would make the conflict worse.



Record breaker: The staggering claims came as Lionel Messi (centre) became Barcelona's highest scorer with a hat-trick against Granada

Searching: Syrian army soldiers pictured looking for rebels in Damascus yesterday Falling down: Black smoke rising from buildings in Homs yesterday

The UN estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since the uprising began.



Yesterday, Syrian soldiers backed by tanks seized the eastern city of Deir el-Zour from rebels, the latest opposition stronghold to fall to an offensive by the better equipped Syrian military.

Activist Osama Mansour said government troops and armoured cars entered the city about 60miles from the Iraqi border from four sides, sparking short gunbattles with fighters from the Free Syrian Army.

Mansour, reached by telephone in Deir el-Zour, said the rebels quit fighting and took shelter in homes and apartments, fearing that protracted clashes would destroy the city.

Taking back rebel-held cities in the past weeks, government troops have often heavily shelled neighbourhoods before sending in troops, killing civilians and damaging buildings.

'They knew they could not hold control of the neighbourhoods, so they decided to stop fighting, knowing that the regime would bring in heavy weapons and kill many civilians,' Mansour said.

He added that the rebels also lacked guns and ammunition.