President Bashar al-Assad has been sworn in for another seven-year term as head of Syria amid the continuing violence in the Arab country.

Assad won last month's election with 88.7 percent votes, showing his tight grip on power despite the three-year running civil war that has killed at least 170, 000 Syrians.

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In his speech delivered before the members of the People's Assembly, Assad praised Syrians for re-electing him into office for the third time. He said the vote resembles the peoples' support to the government in fighting the "terrorists."

"I repeat my call to all those who have been misled to lay down their arms, because we will not stop fighting terrorism and striking at it until we restore safety and security to every inch of Syria," he said in his address, a transcript of which was posted at Syrian Arab News Agency.

Assad is referring to Islamist militants fighting against the government since March 2011, especially the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) which has controlled several areas in northern and eastern part of Syria.

Syrian government forces, on the other hand, have consolidated their control over a corridor of territory from the capital Damascus up to the city of Homs, Hama and Latakia provinces.

Monzer Akbik of the Western-backed National Coalition opposition group described Assad's victory as a "theatrical election" saying the Syrian president ignored the calls of change of leadership, he told Reuters.

The United States, which has called for Assad to step down from office, deplored the election as meaningless.

Assad said foreign countries supporting opposition groups will pay for fueling the violence for years.

The election was only held in areas under the government control.

Meanwhile, United Nations Security Council has authorized humanitarian access in rebel-held areas even without the consent of the government, specifically in four border crossings from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.

TagsBashar al-Assad, Civil war