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Syrian rebels 'killed in army ambush near Damascus' | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
More than 60 rebel fighters have been killed in an ambush by the Syrian army, a monitoring group says. | |
The rebels were killed in a dawn ambush near the town of Adra, east of Damascus, the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. | The rebels were killed in a dawn ambush near the town of Adra, east of Damascus, the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. |
"At least 62 rebels fell as martyrs, most of them youths," the group said. | "At least 62 rebels fell as martyrs, most of them youths," the group said. |
The state news agency Sana confirmed that "dozens" of rebels had been killed, and said they were from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front. | |
Sana said the rebels' machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades were confiscated. | |
More than 100,000 people have been killed in the 28-month conflict in Syria, with a further 1.7 million Syrians forced to seek shelter in neighbouring countries, according to UN estimates. | More than 100,000 people have been killed in the 28-month conflict in Syria, with a further 1.7 million Syrians forced to seek shelter in neighbouring countries, according to UN estimates. |
Army forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are still in control of much of Damascus and routes to the west, while the rebels have taken over swathes of the north and east. | |
Ambushed | |
State-run broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya TV showed footage of the dead men, some of whom were in military fatigues. | |
Mohammed Saeed, an activist near Damascus, told the Associated Press that the rebels were walking from the eastern suburbs of Damascus to the area of Qalamoun. | |
"The regime forces riddled them with heavy machine-gun fire," he said. "It seems that the regime discovered the secret road that the rebels were using." | |
On Tuesday rebels captured a key airbase in Aleppo province, near the Turkish border. | On Tuesday rebels captured a key airbase in Aleppo province, near the Turkish border. |
The Menagh base lies on a major rebel supply route from Turkey. | The Menagh base lies on a major rebel supply route from Turkey. |
Rebels have also recently taken several villages in Latakia province, the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect. | Rebels have also recently taken several villages in Latakia province, the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect. |
But forces loyal to the president have made recent gains too - in Damascus, Homs, and other areas of Aleppo. |