Russia urges Syria to expel 'extremists'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday issued a new call for the Syrian government and opposition to work together to expel all "terrorists and extremists" from Syria.

Lavrov, during a meeting with Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Qadri Jamil in Moscow, said that last month's agreement in Northern Ireland for the two sides to work together to expel the "extremists" should "become one of the main points of the proposed international peace conference", Interfax news agency reported.

"To our regret, unlike the government of Syria, a significant part of the opposition, including the National Council, has not expressed such readiness yet," Lavrov said.

The Syrian government has expressed its willingness to participate in such a meeting as it seeks to subdue the rebels.

Jamil's visit came as Russia and the U.S. seek to convene an international conference on Syria amid differences over its parameters.

Longtime allies Russia and Syria are also discussing the possibility of Moscow extending a loan to Damascus to help Syria's war-battered economy, Jamil said.

Jamil added that he discussed the issue with Lavrov and that Damascus hoped for an agreement by the end of the year.

"We discussed it, although it is still early to talk in concrete figures," Jamil was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The Syrian official added that all agreements for Russia's controversial contract to deliver S-300 missile systems to Damascus were still in place.

Al Jazeera's Tim Friend, reporting from Moscow, said Syria "desperately" needs the money. 

"Russia thinks it's early to talk about exact figures but the deal is going to be big and it's going to be agreed before the end of the year," Friend said.

Meanwhile the US and its allies have been funding Syrian opposition forces.

The New York Times reports that foreign jihadist groups along with Syrian rebels are receiving arms shipments from Qatar, despite US concerns with arming extremist factions.

In a private meeting in April, President Obama cautioned Qatar's former leader, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa, about the risks of arming extremists in Syria.

Presently, there are at least 17 armed jihadist groups fighting in Syria, including Jabhat al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate “that has emerged as one of the most effective rebel factions in Syria," according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. signaled in June that it would provide military support to moderate rebels after it was determined that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons against the opposition.

Moscow maintains the position that the Syrian conflict cannot be settled by military means. Lavrov reiterated Monday that Russia wants “to settle the crisis by political means.”

The decision of whether to arm rebels is a contentious issue in Washington.

Top officials have come out against getting involved militarily over concerns that arms may end up in the hands of extremists.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified in April that he is unsure of how the U.S. “could clearly identify the right people” to send arms to.

“It’s actually more confusing on the opposition side today than it was six months ago,” Dempsey said.

A bipartisan bill was introduced in June that would prohibit the U.S. from providing military aid to the rebels without congressional consent. Humanitarian aid would not be affected.

The bill was sponsored by Sens. Rand Paul, Tom Udall, Mike Lee and Chris Murphy. 

Damascus battles

Syrian activists said government troops had killed at least 75 rebels over 24 hours in battles for control of Damascus.

The death toll reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Monday included 49 fighters killed in an ambush in Damascus' northeastern suburb of Adra early on Sunday.

The group says an elite unit loyal to President Bashar al-Assad ambushed the rebels as they were trying to push into the city.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported the ambush on Sunday without giving a casualty figure.

The watch group reported that another 17 rebels died in fighting on Sunday in central Damascus, while another nine were killed in its suburbs.

Al Jazeera and wire services