Syria: Troops kill more than 60 al-Nusra Front rebels in an ambush
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, the bodies of rebel fighters are seen on the ground, killed in an ambush by Syrian forces near the Damascus suburb of Adra, Aug. 7, 2013.
Syrian government forces killed more than 60 rebels Wednesday in an ambush near Damascus, a blow to opposition fighters confronting a regime offensive in the capital, activists said.
The state news agency SANA confirmed the ambush near the Damascus suburb of Adra at dawn, saying “dozens” were killed. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 62 rebels died. It did not report any government casualties.
SANA said the rebels were members of the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra or Nusra Front. It added that they included foreign fighters.
Syrian troops have been on the offensive in the past few months in an attempt to clear out Damascus suburbs used by opposition fighters to threaten President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.