Syrian forces take full control of historical castle
Iran Press TV
Fri Mar 21, 2014 3:52PM GMT
Syrian government forces have fully regained control of the famous medieval castle of Qal'at al-Hisn and its surrounding areas near the western city of Homs.
Government forces on Friday killed a large number of foreign-backed militants, many of them not from Syria.
The capture of the historical site is the latest of the army's gains in its three-year battle against militants operating in Syria.
Syrian troops had earlier made remarkable gains in Homs as well as the town of Yabroud.
On Sunday, Syrian forces backed by the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, drove out militants from Yabroud.
The recapture of Yabroud, the last major militant stronghold in the strategic Qalamoun region, will cut militant lines across the border with neighboring Lebanon.
"It is a very heavy blow to the logistics and the various infiltration pathways of these rebels coming in from Lebanon," said American historian Webster Griffin Tarpley in an interview with Press TV.
In response to their recent losses to the Syrian army, militants launched mortar shells at a school in Homs on Thursday. The retaliatory attack killed four children and left 19 others injured.
Syria has been plagued by deadly violence since 2011. Some sources say around 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the foreign-backed militancy.
The Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are reportedly supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
MRS/SS
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