FSA says behind Russian general's death

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the killing of a Russian general in Syria who was working as a consultant to the Syrian defense minister and head of general staff of military affairs, it said in an announcement aired by the Al Arabiya news network. FSA said the killing of the general, Vladmir Petrovic Kojaiv, along his private translator, Ahmed Aiq, was evidence that Russia was embroiled in the “humanitarian crimes” against Syrians. “We warn all the snakes to go back to their dens whether it is Russia, Iran and Iraq or Lebanon,” a FSA officer said in the video. Russia, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have long opposed foreign intervention in Syria and the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia and China have blocked U.N. Security Council’s resolutions that seemed to be against Assad regime. The rebel army said a number of documents and maps about the opposition and FSA were also seized. The operation was conducted by its Ghota Western Brigades from Damascus along with FSA countryside forces, the rebel group said.