Syria's Assad warns of 'earthquake' if West intervenes

In a rare interview with the UK's Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Mr Assad said involvement risked transforming Syria into "another Afghanistan".

His comments came after the UN secretary-general made a new call for the repression to end.

At least 50 civilians and members of the security forces were killed on Saturday, according to the two sides.

Activists said 21 civilians were killed and that army tanks had shelled a historic district in the city of Homs.

The government said 20 soldiers had been killed in Homs, and 10 members of the security forces killed during an ambush of their bus in Idlib province.

More than 3,000 people have died in the unrest since protests calling for the government of Mr Assad to step down broke out in March.

'Faultline'

In the Sunday Telegraph interview, Mr Assad said Western countries "are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely".

"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the faultline, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake," he said, .

"Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide Syria, that is to divide the whole region.

"Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?"

President Assad admitted that "many mistakes" had been made by his security forces in the early part of the uprising, but the paper said he insisted that "only terrorists" were now being targeted.

He said he had responded differently to the Arab Spring than other, deposed Arab leaders; Kazinform cites BBC.

To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk