Syria conflict: Bashar al-Assad gives TV address

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is delivering a rare televised speech to the nation, as he continues to battle an uprising against his rule.

Ahead of the speech, state media said it would cover "the latest developments in Syria and the region."

It comes amid fierce fighting close to the capital, Damascus.

The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people have been killed in the uprising against President Assad, which began in March 2011.

Since then opposition rebels have gained control of swathes of territory in northern Syria, and have formed a more inclusive leadership council which has been recognised by the US and the EU.

But opposition efforts to gain ground in and around major cities including Damascus have been met by stiff resistance and increasingly destructive air strikes.

On Saturday the UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported fierce fighting in Harasta and Daraya, suburbs of Damascus.

Diplomatic attempts to end the conflict in Syria have so far failed.

UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has been pushing a plan approved at an international conference in June that would create a transitional government.

But the plan leaves President Assad's role unclear. The Syrian opposition has insisted that Mr Assad must step down for the conflict to end.

Mr Brahimi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a week ago that a negotiated solution was the only option.

On Friday, Nato began to deploy Patriot missiles to Turkey to help Turkish troops repel attacks by missiles or aircraft from Syria.