Syrian army occupied former opposition's stronghold in the country's west; fights still on in the south
8 March 2014, 17:40 -- On Saturday, the Syrian government's armed forces entered the village of Al-Zarah in the country's north, which used to be one of the main strongholds of the Syrian opposition. This news was announced by Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar.
Al-Zarah is a strategically important point. It is located near a highway that connects the cities of Homs and Tartus and oil and gas pipelines that lead to Syrian port cities at the Mediterranean Sea.
The Syrian army's operation to free Al-Zarah from the militants lasted for more than a month. On Friday, a part of the rebels surrendered to the government forces.
At present, the government forces, together with pro-government guerilla formations, are fighting against the rebels in a district of Al-Zarah called Al-Hasrajia. A nearby medieval fortress, called Krak des Chevaliers, is also still in the hands of the rebels.
Krak des Chevaliers is considered to be a unique historic monument and is included in the UNECSO list of the world's cultural heritage. According to the data of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahbar, about 250 militants from the Jund al-Sham Islamist grouping are now hiding in the fortress.
Combat actions are also now under way in the province of Daraa in Syria's south. There, the government forces are fighting against militants who have penetrated to Syria from Jordan. According to the Syrian SANA news agency, militants have tried to attack army checkpoints near the Daraa province's capital city, which is also called Daraa, but the attack was repelled by the government forces. Several militants were killed and several armed vehicles of the rebels were destroyed.
Voice of Russia, TASS
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