Syrian President Bashar Assad accused the United States of assisting "gangs" to destabilize his country, in a rare interview with a western television channel aired on Sunday.

The United States is "part of the conflict. They offer the umbrella and political support to those gangs to... destabilize Syria," Assad told German public broadcaster ARD.

Syria's navy staged live fire exercises at the weekend, launching missiles from both sea and land to "simulate the scenario of repelling a sudden attack from the sea," the state news agency said on Sunday.

"The navy carried out the training successfully, repelling the hypothetical attack and hitting the given targets with high precision," SANA reported.

U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Damascus on Sunday, his spokesman said.

"The Joint Special Envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, arrived in Damascus this evening for talks with President Bashar Assad," Ahmad Fawzi said, without elaborating.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday warned time was running out to save Syria from a "catastrophic assault" after international envoy Kofi Annan admitted his peace mission was failing.

The comments by the top U.S. diplomat came as 15 people, including 12 civilians, were killed across the country, according to a rights watchdog.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Sunday the government to exert “all efforts” to protect the Lebanese along the border with Syria, especially in the regions of Wadi Khaled and Akkar.

He noted during his Sunday sermon: “Mistrust has grown among the political factions because of their allegiances to regional and international axes that have never served Lebanon’s interests.”

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed on Sunday the government for its “total disrespect of the lives of our citizens and our sovereignty” given the recent unrest in northern Lebanon.

He said via Twitter: “The Lebanese are not surprised their government doesn't care if our citizens are killed and sovereignty violated by Syrian regime.”

President Michel Suleiman is set to travel to France on Thursday where is expected to hold talks with his French counterpart Francois Hollande to highlight the importance of Lebanese-French ties and tackle the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, especially Syria, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Sunday.

Diplomatic sources said that Hollande will likely encourage Suleiman to maintain the government’s policy of distancing itself from the Syrian crisis.

Syrian forces pounded Aleppo and Deir Ezzor provinces as at least 35 people were killed on Sunday across the country, among them 17 civilians, a watchdog reported.

The regime forces, under the cover of heavy shelling, attempted to storm the rebel strongholds of Qusayr and Rastan in the central province of Homs, triggering fierce clashes, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The security situation will likely impose itself as the main issue of discussion during cabinet’s session on Monday given the recent unrest on the border with Syria and the protests over the release of officers linked to the deaths of Sheikhs Ahmed Abul Wahed and Mohammed Merheb, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

It said that the severity of the situation may force the government to take decisive action in the affairs in order to avoid its further deterioration.

About 20 armed men enter a dilapidated barn in northeastern Lebanon, preparing to sneak across the border and fight alongside their Syrian "brothers" against the regime in Damascus.

The young men decide to rest briefly at the farm near Al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley, their arms and baggage placed against a wall.