Assad praised the government forces in a statement Wednesday, as violence continued across the country.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one person was killed in fighting between rebels and security forces in a predominantly Christian neighborhood of Damascus. Fighting has been rare in Christian areas of the capital during the 17-month uprising against Assad's rule.
The opposition Local Coordination Committees also reported shelling in Homs and Lattakia.
Rights group Amnesty International issued a new report Wednesday saying the government's ongoing assault in the city of Aleppo matches a "disturbing pattern" of abuses by government forces seen in other areas.
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Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss a Saudi resolution on Syria.
The draft expresses grave concern about the violence and the government's threat to use chemical weapons against what Syria calls foreign invaders. It also calls on Assad to step down.
There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, unlike the Security Council, where Russia and China vetoed three separate resolutions threatening Syria with sanctions for using heavy weapons against civilians.
