PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday dismissed news reports that it had sent air force pilots to Syria to attack rebel forces.

A foreign ministry spokesman said some overseas media had floated misinformation that the DPRK supplied war equipment to Syria and directly involved its airmen in air raids on insurgent troops.

Such reports "are part of the foolish plots of hostile forces to tarnish the image of the peace-loving DPRK and cover up their criminal acts of blocking the peaceful settlement of the Syrian situation," the official was quoted by official news agency KCNA as saying.

The spokesman stressed that it has always been the stance of the DPRK that the Syrian situation should be settled peacefully through dialogue and negotiations, as early as possible and free from foreign intervention.

The rumor first surfaced in an Arab paper published in Britain late last month. The report was based on claims raised by a member of the Syrian National Council, who said Damascus hired some pilots from the DPRK.