Syria forces repel attack, kill some 140 militants

Syrian security forces have repelled an attack on a monastery in a city north of the capital Damascus, killing nearly 140 militants, Press TV reports.

“Terrorists tried to attack the [Cherubim] monastery… for the third time this week and they failed,” an army commander told Press TV.

The attack took place in the town of Saidnaya located in the mountains 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the capital.

“We killed those who got about 300 meters close. We killed nearly 140 militants,” he added.

“We have 54 of their bodies. Their defeat was a lesson for them. We will never stop defending the homeland.”

Syria has been gripped by deadly crisis since March 2011. According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence.