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Syria vows strong response to 'terrorists'

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 18 (UPI) -- Terrorist groups inside Syria are using masked gunmen on motorcycles to fire on unarmed civilians, a source in the Syrian Interior Ministry claimed.

The Interior Ministry warned on the official Syrian Arab News Agency that it would be "firm" in dealing with terrorists in the country. The government would use "all means necessary" to preserve the safety of the country, SANA added.

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The report blames masked men on motorcycles for terrorizing the public. Citizens, the report adds, are called on to notify authorities of any related activity in order to bring them to justice.

Damascus is under fire for its crackdown on dissent in the country. The regime has waged a brutal response to opposition groups and protesters expressing their frustration with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during weekend meetings with Turkish officials in Istanbul chided the Syrian president for his lopsided approach to the unrest.

"What's happening in Syria is very uncertain and troubling, because many of us had hoped that President Assad would make the reforms that were necessary without seeing what we're now seeing in the streets of Syria, which are government tanks and soldiers shooting peaceful demonstrators," she said in a statement.

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