Militants suffer heavy losses near Syrian capital

Iran Press TV

Mon Apr 8, 2013 9:4AM GMT

The Syrian army continues its mop-up operations against armed groups on the outskirts of Damascus as the militants suffer heavy losses for the second consecutive day.

On Sunday, a number of militants were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops in the city of al-Tall, located on the northern outskirts of the capital, Syria's official SANA news agency reported.

Syrian forces also engaged gunmen in the Qara area and killed scores of them in the process. The troops also fully purged the Eastern Ghouta district, east of Damascus, of foreign-backed militants on the same day.

Moreover, a pickup truck equipped with Dushka machine gun was destroyed, and various kinds of weapons -- including rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers and machine guns -- were also confiscated near Damascus.

Meanwhile, a unit of Syrian forces killed a number of snipers in the city of Harasta, located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of Damascus.

The Syrian army recaptured the suburbs of Kafreen, Haran al-Awamid, al-Ataibeh and Adra during a similar operation on Saturday.

The Syrian government says the chaos that erupted in the country more than two years ago is being orchestrated from outside.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently said that Turkey's government "officially harbors terrorists and sends them into Syria."

MP/HSN