Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said his country is in "a state of war".

叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德称，叙利亚目前处于“战争状态”。

Addressing his new cabinet, Mr Assad said that all efforts had to be directed towards winning the war.

Hours later, gunmen attacked pro-government Ikhbariya TV channel, killing¹ three people, state media said.

The UN's human rights council is due to hear a report on Syria, including its findings on the Houla massacre².

A commission of inquiry³ has been investigating human rights violations⁴ in the conflict and its chairman, Paulo Pinheiro, was able to enter the country for the first time on Monday.

Earlier this month, the Geneva-based UN council called on the commission to find out who carried out last month's killings⁵ in Houla in which 108 people died.

'Winning this war'

"We live in a real state of war from all angles," President Assad told members of the cabinet who were sworn in on Tuesday.

"When we are in a war, all policies and all sides and all sectors⁶ need to be directed at winning this war."

He criticised countries that have been calling for him to stand down, saying that the West "takes and never gives and this has been proven at every stage".

He added: "We want good relations with all countries but we must know where our interests lie."

Earlier, activists⁷ said fierce fighting in suburbs of the capital Damascus on Tuesday had been the worst there so far.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory⁸ for Human Rights said that clashes took place near Republican Guard positions in Qudsiya and al-Hama, about 8km (5 miles) from the centre of Damascus.

Correspondents say it is rare for fighting to take place near Republican Guard bases and suggests a growing confidence among the rebels.

The elite⁹ Republican Guard, led by President Assad's younger brother Maher, is tasked with protecting the capital.

Wednesday morning's attack on Ikhbariya TV south of Damascus blew up the newsroom, Sana news agency reported.

"Three journalists and workers" were killed in the attack, it said.

The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the station was targeted by EU sanctions announced on Monday.