Syrian troops kill dozens of terrorists on outskirts of Damascus

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

A number of al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra (Victory Front) gunmen were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops in the town of Shebaa Farms on Sunday, the SANA news agency reported.

In addition, Syrian troops raided several terrorist hideouts in the area, shooting dead scores of militants. They also seized various kinds of weapons and munitions after the clashes.

The slain gunmen reportedly terrorized citizens and committed crimes such as murder, robbery and looting in the region.

Syrian Army soldiers also clashed with anti-government gunmen in the town of al-Ziyabiyeh, killing dozens of them in the process.

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.

They also destroyed a warehouse containing large amounts of arms used by the militants in the operation.

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

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country. Reports indicate that a very large number of these militants are foreign nationals.