Syrian Army captures strategic villages near Lebanon border

Syrian Army captures strategic villages near Lebanon border

A file photo shows Syrian government soldiers in the northern city of Aleppo.

Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:28PM GMT

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The Syrian Army has captured several key villages near the border with Lebanon after heavy clashes with foreign-backed militants fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, Press TV reports.

Report from Syria said the four key villages of Qadesh, Mansouriyah, As’adiyah, and Radwaniyah -- all lying around the town of Qusayr in Homs province -- were captured by government forces on Saturday. 

Both local media and militants have reported heavy clashes in the western province. 

Following an operation last week, government troops seized a hill overlooking several key towns in the same region and the highway connecting the capital, Damascus, to the Mediterranean coast. 

On Thursday, Syrian government forces captured the village of Abel, viewed as a militant stronghold near the border with Lebanon. The village is just four kilometers from the main route that runs between Homs, Damascus, and the northern province of Aleppo. 

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence. 

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

Several international human rights organizations have condemned the foreign-sponsored militants for committing war crimes. 

MAM/MRS/AS 

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/20/299361/syrian-army-captures-key-villages/