Syria armed forces hold 'large-scale' exercises

The Syrian armed forces have been conducting "large-scale" manoeuvres to test their "combat capability and readiness", Syrian state media report.

The exercises showed Syria was able "to defend [its] shores against any possible aggression", according to state-run news agency Sana.

Tensions along the border with Turkey have been raised after Syria shot down a Turkish fighter jet last month.

Meanwhile, UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan is expected in Damascus on Monday.

On Saturday Mr Annan said his six-point peace plan for Syria had so far "failed", in comments to French newspaper Le Monde.

Syrian Defence Minister Gen Dawoud Rajha was one of several high-ranking officers attending the manoeuvres, according to a report on Syrian TV.

"Our Navy forces started to conduct an operational tactical manoeuvre with live ammunition, during which naval and coastal rockets were fired," the report added.

The exercises were part of a training plan which involves manoeuvres "carried out over several days", Sana said.

Some in the Syrian opposition have called for foreign military intervention to unseat the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Last week Turkey scrambled six F-16 fighter jets near its border with Syria after Syrian helicopters came close to the border.

Also last week, Turkey said it had begun deploying rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns along the border in response to the downing of its F-4 Phantom jet on 22 June.

Syria said the Turkish F-4 was shot down by air defence fire inside its airspace.

Meanwhile, violence continued in Syria on Sunday with 11 people reported dead, according to the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), a network of activists inside Syria.

Three of the dead were defected soldiers, the LCC said.