Hollande Confirms for First Time: France Armed Syria Rebels A Few Months Ago

French President Francois Hollande confirmed for the first time on Thursday that France had delivered weapons to rebels battling the Syrian government “a few months ago.”

The deliveries took place “a few months ago, when the Syrian rebels had to face both the armies of the…[Syrian government] and this terrorist group [the so-called] “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” [ISIL],” Hollande told reporters on a tour of the French island of La Reunion.

“These rebels need all our help,” he said in reference to the so-called “Free Syrian Army” fighters, adding that, they “deserve all our support.”

He further stated, “The international community bears a heavy responsibility in Syria.”

In Syria, more than 170,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants in the country.