Syria army getting closer to victory against foreigner plunderers

Syrian soldiers have killed dozens of foreign-backed militants during mop-up operations on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

A number of militants were killed during intense clashes with the Syrian army in the town of al-Nabek, located some 80 kilometers (49 miles) northeast of Damascus, on Sunday, the official SANA news agency reported.

Similar clashes broke out in the Qara district of Damascus.

A unit of the Syrian army also engaged militant groups in the city of Yabrud, north of the capital, killing a number of armed men.

Syrian troops raided several terrorist hideouts in the Ghouta area of Damascus. The army inflicted losses on the militants in the process. Various kinds of weapons and munitions were also seized by the Syrian army.

Syrian soldiers also attacked militants in Douma, northeast of Damascus.

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

On Sunday, UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi invited the Syrian government and the Western-backed opposition to hold talks at the UN.

“We believe that if a dialogue begins at the offices of the United Nations, at least at the start, between the opposition and an acceptable delegation from the Syrian government, we think this will be a start to get out of the dark tunnel,” Brahimi told reporters in Cairo.