100 soldiers, scores of civilians killed by al-Qaida fighters attack in northern Syria

DAMASCUS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Intense clashes between the Syrian army and the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front, using booby- trapped cars in the fights, have left at least 100 army personnel and scores of civilians killed, activists said Thursday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that al-Nusra fighters have almost taken control over the city of Shadidi in Hasaka after three days of intense clashes, during which the al-Qaida likeminded group used car bombs in their attacks.

A total of 100 army personnel and scores of civilians, who were employees at a Syrian oil company, were killed after the al-Nusra fighters stormed the company, it said, adding that some 30 members of al-Nusra were killed as well.

The Observatory also reported intense clashes in several hotspots across the country.

In the southern province of Daraa, violent clashes have been ongoing between the government forces and rebel fighters inside the al-Sahwa military battalion center, the Observatory said, adding that the rebels have stormed the base after days of clashes at its vicinity.

In the suburbs of the capital Damascus, violent clashes took place Thursday in the town of Aqraba, near the road to the international airport, it said, adding that pillars of smoke were seen rising from the adjacent town of Heran al-Awameed due to the government troops' bombardment.

Yet, the activists' report could not be independently confirmed.

On Wednesday, the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay placed the overall death toll of Syria's 23-month-old crisis at nearly 70,000.

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