Syrian President Bashar Assad says he is not considering asking Russia to send in the troops to help the government fight the Islamic State group.
Russia, a key backer of the Assad regime, has been providing air cover for government operations since 2015 but has not provided boots on the ground.
Asked about the possibility of expanding Russia's role in Syria, Assad said in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency on Friday that "what has been done so far is good and sufficient."
He added, however, that Russia troops "might be needed" in the future "if more terrorists from all over the world are brought" to Syria.
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