Assad hopes for 'anti-terror ally' in Trump in the fight against terrorism

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said in an interview that Donald Trump will be a “natural ally” if the US president-elect fulfils his pledge to fight “terrorists”.

In his first reaction to Trump’s election victory last week, Assad struck a note of caution and said he was unsure Trump would be able to keep his word and step up the fight against jihadists.

“We cannot tell anything about what he’s going to do, but if ... he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally in that regard with the Russian, with the Iranian, with many other countries,” he told Portugal’s RTP state television.

Asked about Trump’s campaign comments suggesting the US should focus more on fighting the Islamic State group, Assad said he would welcome such a move but was cautious.

Syria's leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains "cautious in judging him".

The US leads an international coalition that is conducting airstrikes against ISIS jihadists in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and also backs rebels fighting the Assad regime.

In an interview with the New York Times on 26 March, Trump said he thought “the approach of fighting Assad and Isis simultaneously was madness, and idiocy”.

“You can’t be fighting two people that are fighting each other, and fighting them together. You have to pick one or the other,” Trump said.

During his campaign, Trump also pledged to improve America’s ties with Assad’s main backer, Russia.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 300,000 people since it started in March 2011 with anti-regime protests.

Syria’s main opposition has reportedly urged Trump to protect civilians and help end the bloodshed in the country.