Syria's Membership In Islamic Group Reinstated

Syria's membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was reinstated, the OIC announced in a statement on Saturday.

The decision was taken during an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, convened in Jeddah on Friday to discuss the ongoing Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people and the plans for annexation and forced displacement from their land.

The statement noted that the decision came at Syria's request, and necessary measures will be taken to implement the decision.

The meeting, held at the request of Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Iran, supported all the OIC resolutions on Palestine and Jerusalem, most recently by the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh last November, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Iran has expressed grave concern over escalating violence and insecurity in Syria.

Iran closely monitors Syria's internal developments and follows with great concern the reports of violence and insecurity in various parts of the Arab state, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

He made the remarks in response to intense clashes that erupted in Syria's coastal regions over the past 24 hours.

Baghaei stressed the need to ensure security and stability in Syria and create conditions for the peaceful coexistence of all Syrian groups. He also stressed the need to maintain Syria's territorial integrity in the face of Israel's aggression and threats.

Baghaei said that Iran firmly opposes insecurity and violence in Syria and the killing and maiming of the "oppressed" Syrians from any group or tribe.

Since Thursday, fierce clashes between Syria's interim government forces and armed opposition groups affiliated with the former government in coastal regions have left at least 147 people dead.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the clashes marked one of the deadliest escalations since the fall of the previous government last December.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)