Media: Syria arrests 13 French soldiers

The Syrian army has arrested 13 French soldiers in Syria, RIA Novosti
reports with reference to the Daily Star and anonymous sources.

The soldiers were detained in the city of Homs. Information about when
and why the French troops had arrived in Syria has not been released
yet.

Commenting on information that appeared in the media, Foreign
Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said that "it has no basis."

"The issue of sending French troops to Syria has never been raised,"
he told a press conference in Paris.

Previously, the media have repeatedly reported the presence of special
forces from such countries as Britain, France and Qatar in Syria.

It has been almost a year since anti-government protests started
in Syria. According to UN figures, the total number of victims in the
country has exceeded 7.5 thousand. The Syrian authorities claim that two
thousand military and law enforcement officials have been killed in Syria,
fighting against well-armed rebels and deserters.