Syria deplores killings of al-Manar journalists

Syria says the killings of three journalists working with Lebanese al-Manar television by militants are to be added to the record of Takfiri terrorism in the country.

According to al-Manar, correspondent Hamza al-Hajj Hassan, technician Halim Allaw and cameraman Mohammed Mantash were gunned down by “armed groups” in the Syrian town of Ma’loula on Monday.

“Blood of the three journalists and their Syrian colleagues will remain a torch which lightens the ray of reality to the whole world,” Syrian Presidential Media office said on Monday, expressing condolences to the Lebanese television and the families of the journalists.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi also held a telephone conversation with al-Manar and offered condolences to the Lebanese TV and the families of the journalists on behalf of National Media Council, Journalists Union and workers in the media.

The shooting came shortly after Syrian armed forces retook full control of Ma’loula.

On Monday, Syria’s official news agency SANA also cited an unnamed military source as saying that the army units had recaptured the historic town, located about 70 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus.

Ma’loula was taken over by the foreign-backed Takfiri groups in early December, 2013. The town is regarded as a symbol of the ancient Christian presence in Syria.

President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that the Takfiri war in his country has strongly shifted in favor of the government forces as they have made continuous gains in their battle against terrorists.

Syria has been the scene of a deadly crisis since March 2011. Reports say more than 150,000 people have so far been killed and millions displaced in the foreign-backed violence.

The Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – have reportedly been supporting the militants operating inside Syria.