Syria denies receiving special forces from Russia

DAMASCUS - A Syrian military source on Monday refuted as "baseless" some media reports about the arrival of Russian warships carrying military staffs by the Syrian shores, according to state-run SANA news agency.

"Those news come in the framework of the lie campaigns against Syria by some opposition sides and the countries that support them in order to cover calls for foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs," the unnamed source was quoted by SANA as saying.

Earlier in the day, the Saudi-based Al Arabiya TV cited opposition sources as saying that Russian special forces have arrived in the Syrian Mediterranean port city of Tartus.

The Syrian port of Tartus hosts a Russian naval base since the times of the Soviet Union.