Israeli President Shimon Peres has put his weight behind armed groups in Syria despite Damascus efforts to bring calm to the crisis-hit country

Israeli President Shimon Peres has put his weight behind armed groups in Syria despite Damascus efforts to bring calm to the crisis-hit country.

Peres said in an interview with Israeli public radio on Sunday that he respected the armed gangs, who "expose themselves to live fire and I hope that they will win."

This is while the Syrian government has announced that the armed groups are behind the killings and the unrest in the country.

Syria has been the scene of violence since March 2011. Many people, including security forces, have been martyred in the unrest.