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.”