Syrian troops repulse rebels' attack against army post near Damascus

Source : Xinhua | English.news

DAMASCUS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian troops repulsed Saturday an armed group's attack on a military post in the countryside of the capital Damascus, a military source was quoted by the state-run SANA news agency as saying.

The troops confronted the group, which tried to attack the military post in Kafr Nasej, SANA said, adding that the troops dealt heavy losses to the assailants.

The incident comes as the clashes in the suburbs outlining the eastern part of Damascus have been ongoing for days after the rebels tried to wage a wide-scale attack on the capital.

The clashes have been raging in the eastern suburbs of Jobar and Zamalka and the western countryside of Daraya and Muadamieh.

Activists said the Syrian troops used air force in striking some rebels' strongholds and carried out raids and arrests in the central district of Midan.

The battles in Damascus are the latest in a series of intense fighting that has engulfed most of Syrian cities over the past 22 months of crisis, during which more than 60,000 people were killed.