Syrian opposition leader Alkhatib open to talks

The head of Syria’s main opposition coalition says he is ready to sit down with representatives of President Bashar al-Assad.

Mouaz Alkhatib, in an offer extended via his Facebook page, has said he is prepared to hold talks outside Syria on the condition that thousands of detainees are released.

Syrian officials said this week that certain opposition figures could return to Damascus for dialogue without facing charges.

An uprising that began with mainly peaceful protests in March 2011 has escalated into a civil war, in which some 60,000 people have died.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based NGO that aims to provide casualty figures from both sides of the conflct, is reporting at least 11 more deaths on Wednesday: six in Damascus and five near Aleppo.

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