Mekdad: Syria carrying "a message of peace" to UN Assembly

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has said his country is carrying "a message of peace and national reconciliation" to the UN's General Assembly, which starts its annual debate on Tuesday.

His interview with the BBC came as activists reported government forces were bombarding opposition-held areas in the second city of Aleppo.

In an exclusive interview with Lyse Doucet, Mr Mekdad blamed the continued violence on foreign-backed "terrorist groups".