Militants hijack civilian bus in NW Syria

Militants from the al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front have hijacked a bus carrying at least 40 civilians, including women and children, in northwestern Syrian.

According to reports, the incident took place in the province of Idlib on Thursday.

The al-Nusra Front has also reportedly attacked an oil company in the city of Shadidi, killing scores of civilians.

Also on Thursday, new video footage surfaced showing foreign-sponsored militants shooting down two Syrian fighter jets in the province.

Meanwhile, almost 100 Syrian Army personnel and more than two dozen members of the al-Nusra Front were killed during ensuing clashes.

A number of militants were also killed in an attempted attack on a military facility near the Syrian capital Damascus. The Syrian Army also killed a number of militants in the western city of Homs.

On Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the country is ready for dialogue with the opposition in Syria as long as it is based on political reforms outlined by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.

The Syrian government also says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

In addition, several international human rights organizations have accused the militants in Syria of committing war crimes.