Syrian nation committed to defend national sovereignty - Iranian FM

Syrian nation is committed to defend its national sovereignty and killings will not break its resistance against criminal gangs, supported by outside powers, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said here on Wednesday, IRNA reported.

He made the remarks in a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.

Salehi expressed his condolences for passing away of some senior Syrian officials including Former Defense Minister Daoud Rajha.

In this phone call, he expressed his condolences and sympathies to the government and the people of Syria and wished them increasing success, prosperity and dignity.

"Syrian nation will resist for sure and defend their national sovereignty, stability and security; realization of Syrian nation's legal demands will be fulfilled through peaceful, political ways and comprehensive participation of people."

Teh Iranian FM noted that criminal terrorist gangs supported by outside powers can not secure a prosperous future for the Syrian nation.

A suicide bomber at a 'national security' force building in the capital Damascus Wednesday killed the country's defense minister and wounded the interior minister.

The attack struck the National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of Cabinet ministers and senior security officials. State-run TV said some of the officials were seriously wounded and killed Defense Minister Daud Rajihah.

Al-Manar TV said that the Syrian Interior Minister, Muhammad Ibrahim al-Sha'ar, is among those wounded in the blast.

The capital has seen four straight days of clashes pitting government troops against terrorist and rebel groups, who are trying to bring down the government by force.

President Bashar al-Assad's advisors as well as his brother-in-law were both killed in the terrorist bomb attack.

The Syrian TV quoting the country's army pledged to wipe out 'criminal gangs'.

A Syrian security source confirmed Shawkat, 62, was killed and said intelligence chief Hisham Bekhtyar was wounded. State television said Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar had also been wounded in the blast.

The Syrian president immediately appointed a new defense minister, Fahad Jassim al-Freij, previously the armed forces' chief of staff, in a show of power and determination.

Assad was not at the meeting where it took place.

The explosion appeared to be part of coordinated terrorist moves in the capital.

Syria has been experiencing unrests since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.

In October, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Zionist regime, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of stirring unrests in Syria once again.