Syrian troops battle foreign-backed militants outside Damascus

Syrian army soldiers have killed dozens of foreign-sponsored militants during mop-up operations on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.

On Tuesday, a number of militants were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops in the village of Jobar, located 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northeast of Damascus, the official SANA news agency reported.

A terrorist hideout was raided by the Syrian forces during a mop-up operation in the town of al-Shifonyeh near the capital. Dozens of foreign-backed gunmen were killed in the process.

Moreover, a unit of the Syrian army killed a group of militants in the town of al-Otaiba. A vehicle equipped with a heavy machine gun and rigged with mortar shells was also destroyed.

Syrian troops also stormed a terrorist hideout in the town of al-Abada and shot dead scores of foreign-backed militants. They also destroyed various kinds of munitions.

The unrest in Syria began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence. The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.