Syrian army deals major blow to militants near Damascus

Syrian soldiers have killed dozens of militants near Damascus as the army continues mop-up operations on the outskirts of the capital.

On Sunday, a number of militants were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops in the town of Jdaidet al-Fadl, located on the western suburb of Damascus, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported.

Terrorist hideouts were also raided by the Syrian forces in the town of Daraya, which is located about eight kilometers (five miles) southwest of Damascus.

In addition, the army engaged foreign-backed militants in the village of Khan al-Shih, some 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of the capital. Scores of gunmen were killed in the fighting, SANA said.

Meanwhile, Syrian bomb disposal teams found and defused four remote-controlled improvised explosive devices, weighing 50 kilograms each, near a mosque in the village.

Moreover, Syrian troops clashed with militants in the village of Jobar, located two kilometers (1.2 miles) northeast of Damascus. A unit of the army also killed a number of militants in the city of Harasta near the capital.

Similar clashes broke out outside a terrorist hideout in the town of al-Shifoniyeh, and the Syrian forces shot dead scores of militants. A large amount of weapons and munitions was destroyed after the fierce gun battle.

In the town of al-Otaiba, the Syrian bomb squad defused over two dozen explosive devices, which were planted in streets and houses.

On Sunday, the army also carried out an operation in the town of al-Hejjeira. A number of vehicles used by terrorists were destroyed in the firefight.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on the same day that the situation in the country was improving as the army enjoys people’s support in the fight against terrorism.

Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil that has gripped Syria for over two years.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and that the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the militant groups in Syria.

President Assad also recently stated in an interview broadcast on Turkish television that if the militant groups take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East for decades.