Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied using “indiscriminate weapons” on rebel areas, causing massive civilian casualties, appears in denial about his role in causing the ongoing civil war in his country.

In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, the Syrian president talked of an “invasion of terrorists from abroad” and tried to dismissed the use of indiscriminate weapons like barrel bombs and Syrian troops targeting civilians as ‘childish lies’.

The Syrian leader said that his government did receive general information about US-led strikes on Islamic State and al-Qaeda targets via third parties like Iraq, but the two parties did not have a dialogue and no details were shared. He went on to say that Syria would never join a coalition to fight the Islamic State alongside a countries that he blamed for support the “terrorists”.

Assad also dismissed statement by the UN, which said his government often blocks access for relief and aid organisations to rebel held areas “starving out” both the rebels and the remaining civilians in contravention of international law. He claimed that all civilians had fled rebel held areas, implying that any civilians that remained were legitimate rebel targets.