The ruling regime in Syria had harsh words Monday for a decision by the Arab League to hand over Syria’s seat in the League to representatives of rebel groups in the country. In an editorial, the state newspaper Tishrin said that the move was “an attempt by Qatar and the rest of the traitorous Arab states to force a political reality in Syria, and this is a political crime against Syria.”

The editorial added that the League had transferred the seat “stolen from Syria into the hands of criminals and violent groups.”

Meanwhile, the military leader of the largest rebel group in Syria, Riad al-Ass’ad, was badly injured in an explosion Sunday. The vehicle that he was riding in blew up after a bomb was placed next to it. One of Ass’ad’s assistants was also injured in the blast. A report in Arab media said that Ass’ad was being treated in a Turkish hospital..

The report quoted rebel groups as saying that “the attempts by President Assad to kill the military leader Riad al-Ass’ad was part of the government’s efforts to punish citizens of Syria for their support of the rebel groups.”