Fighters in the Free Syrian Army have appealed to the West to support them in their fight against president Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to Jyllands-Posten newspaper, fighters in a camp in the mountains of north-western Syria say they cannot compete with the weapons they allege Russia and Iran are providing the government forces.

”We want military help, not humanitarian aid,” Abdelsalaam (not pictured), the commander of a group of forces, said. “They are only helping the injured who make it out of Syria. But we want to protect the people who remain inside Syria.”

Without military aid, Abdelsalaam said the rebel army stood no chance of defeating al-Assad, whose forces are responsible for thousands of deaths since they started opening fire on demonstrations last year.

Abdelsalaam said there was no need for foreign forces on the ground, though they could do with training in how to build effective roadside bombs.

If Denmark and the rest of the world helped them, he said the Free Syrian Army would be able to capture Damascus.

“Assad’s people are cowards who are only fighting for the money and because they are forced to," he said. "But we are fighting for our land and for our own people.”