Syria

Exclusive: Some 80 militants killed near Syrian capital

Exclusive: Some 80 militants killed near Syrian capital

Latest operations by the Syrian army around capital Damascus have left at least 80 militants, mostly from al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front, dead while heavy clashes are still underway in the area.

Al-Alam reporter in Damascus, Mazen Salmo, said Sunday that the Syrian army has made considerable improvements against al-Nusra militants near Damascus, especially in al-Malihe region, where some 60 of them were killed in the fighting.

Military sources told Salmo that three heavy machine guns used by the militants were destroyed while at least 17 bombs located on the way of the army were diffused.

The army is determined to clear the Malihe region within the next two days, Salmo said.

Another 20 militants were killed in a Syrian army ambush in militant-held area of al-Joze, located in south of Damascus.

The improvement comes as mortar shell attack by militants on Damascus Opera House killed two civilians and injured eight others.

Syria’s foreign-backed militants seeking to overthrow the Syrian government often fire mortar shells into the heart of Damascus from strongholds in outlying communities, but the fire has been more intense in recent weeks.

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