World Bulletin / News Desk

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday that army troops would head to the outskirts of an rebel-held town to help besieged soldiers holed up on its outskirts, and justified recentarmy setbacks as part of normal warfare.

Last month fighters captured the town of Jisr al-Shughour in Syria's Idlib province, edging closer to the government-held heartland of Latakia along the coast.

He was speaking at an event to commemorate martyrs at a school in an undisclosed location. In a rare public appearance, he was surrounded by crowds of people who chanted in support. 

"And now, God willing, the army will arrive soon to these heroes who are besieged in the Jisr al-Shughour Hospital to continue the battle to defeat the terrorists," he said in comment broadcast on Syrian state television.

He was speaking at a school in an undisclosed location at an event to commemorate Syria's Martyrs' Day. In the rare public appearance, he was surrounded by throngs of people chanting in support. Security officials held back surging crowds.

Remarking that to-and-fro gains were normal in any war, Assad said the armed forces would remain resolute.

"Psychological defeat is the final defeat and we are not worried," he said.

Assad said while the army was waging a relentless war across swathes of territory and gaining ground, there were occasions when the fighters had to "retreat back when the situation warrants".

Battles have been raging around the hospital on the southwestern outskirts of Jisr al-Shughour where army forces and allied fighters have been holed up since the rebel offensive began, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.