Syrian troops kill dozens of militants around Damascus

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

A number of militants were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops in the city of Yabroud, located 75 kilometers (46 miles) north of Damascus, on Tuesday, SANA news agency reported.

The government forces also destroyed a warehouse containing large amounts of arms used by the terrorists in the operation.

In addition, the Syrian troops raided a terrorist hideout in al-Nabk city, situated 81 kilometers (50 miles) north of Damascus, and shot dead a number of militants. They seized various kinds of weapons and munitions after the battle.

The Syrian army soldiers also clashed with militants in the town of al-Ziyabiyeh, killing many of them.

A unit of government forces killed a number of foreign-backed militants in the town of Daraya, which is located 8 kilometers (5 miles) southwest of Damascus.

The Syrian soldiers also clashed with gunmen in al-Hejjeira, al-Husseiniyeh, and al-Bahdalieh towns.

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

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