Syrian army regains control of strategic town in south

The Syrian Army has regained control of a strategic town in southern Syria following heavy clashes with foreign-backed militants operating inside Syria.
Reports say the Syrian forces have released the town of Khirbet Ghazaleh on Wednesday from the militants after about two months of clashes. The town is situated near the Jordanian border.

According to the opposition sources, some 1,000 militants withdrew from the town after they lost hope that aids would come from Jordan.

The sources also said that the Syrian Army’s success in the area has raised resentment among militants over what they consider as lack of support from Jordan in their fight against the Syrian government forces.

On May 4, the Syrian troops drove out militants from towns of Aziza and Tall Assan, located near the northwestern city of Aleppo.

The army also discovered tunnels dug by the militants in Aziza, and secured a strategic bridge that linked several towns in the Aleppo countryside.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian forces regained control over two key areas in Ghouta, near the capital Damascus, where a large number of militants were killed in the operations.

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

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