SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad said yesterday that he would welcome US troops in the region, providing that they co-operated with his government and respected the country’s sovereignty.

In an interview with Yahoo News Mr Assad welcomed US President Donald Trump’s supposed commitment to fighting terrorism in the region — including Isis and al-Qaida-affiliated groups fighting the government.

But he added: “You cannot defeat the terrorism without co-operation with the people and the government.”

“We invited the Russians, and the Russians were genuine regarding this issue,” he said. “If the Americans are genuine, of course they are welcome.”

Mr Assad also rejected Mr Trump’s plan to establish “safe zones” for refugees inside and outside the country.

“Safe zones for Syrians could only happen when you have stability and security,” he said.

Earlier in the week dozens of Syrian civilians returned home more than three years after their abduction by Islamist rebels.

The 20 women and 54 children were kidnapped when their villages in the north of Latakia province — near the mediterranean coast — were overrun in August 2013.

The Syrian government also released hostages, some of which had been detained since 2011.

Such exchanges have been rare in Syria’s six-year war but are becoming a more common occurence in recent months.

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