Syria army foils militant infiltration attempts

The Syrian army has thwarted two separate attempts by militant groups to cross the Lebanese border into Syria.

Militants attempted to enter the Syrian border city of Talkalakh, located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of the capital, Damascus, on Saturday. The Syrian army foiled the attempt, the official SANA news agency reported.

A large number of militants were killed and dozens more injured in clashes with Syrian forces that erupted near Talkalakh.

The Syrian army also drove back a group of militants trying to infiltrate the town of Khirbet al-Nua’mat near the Lebanese border. Several militants were killed.

The crisis began in Syria in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the turmoil.

Syrian forces have foiled many attempts by militant groups to infiltrate the border over the past months.

The foreign-backed militants have also suffered major losses in clashes with the Syrian army in several towns and cities over the past few weeks.