Syrian troops kill Saudi officer in mop-up operation in Idlib

Syrian Army soldiers have killed a Saudi military officer during a mop-up operation in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The officer, identified as Mohammad Salem al-Harbi, was killed in fierce clashes between foreign-sponsored insurgents and Syrian soldiers in the western town of Ma’arrat al-Numan, situated 73 kilometers (45 miles) south of the flashpoint city of Aleppo, on Saturday, the Arabic-language news network Al-Alam reported.

The report added that several foreign militants of Turkish nationality were also killed in the battle.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011.

Damascus says outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists are the driving factor behind the unrest and deadly violence while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the killings.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country and accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey of arming the opposition.