Syria urges rebels to lay down weapons

The Syrian government on Sunday urged the armed militant groups across the country to be "rational " and lay down weapons because "the Syrian army is coming." The government's demand came in a text message sent to Syrians nationwide, in which it said: "to all those carrying weapons against the state, be rational and quick to lay down weapons because the men of the Syrian army are coming." "Our duty is to protect the homeland, and confronting terrorism is a national and legitimate duty," the SMS read. The warning came as the Syrian army was reportedly advancing in hotspots around the capital Damascus and in the central province of Homs, according to local media reports. Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported government troops' bombardment on the Damascus' suburb of Zamalka and an airstrike on the Qara suburb left material losses only.