TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian President Bashar Assad said Monday that the primary aim of terrorists fighting in Syria is to spread radical ideology among civilians to undermine the foundations of civil society.

Bashar Assad said during a meeting with Chrysostomos II, the archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus that one of�the main goals of�the unprecedented terrorist attack on�Syria is spreading takfiri mentality and practices to�undermine Syria's diverse and harmonious social fabric, Sputnik reported.

A delegation from�Cyprus, headed by�the archbishop, arrived in�Damascus on�a working visit to�meet with�the head of�state, members of�the local clergy and secular authorities.

Fundamentalism has gained momentum in�the Middle East since�the start of�the civil war in�Syria in�2011.

By Fars News Agency