SYRIAN ARMY REPELS AL-QAEDA-LED ATTACK ON DARAA, UP TO 40 MILITANTS KILLED

The Syrian army repelled an assault of the joint forces of the Free Syrian Army’s Southern Front and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) in the provincial capital of the Daraa province.

Militants attacked government positions in the Manshiyah neighbourhood earlier today, but suffered heavy casualties and were pushed to retreat. Pro-government sources report that up to 40 members of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and the FSA’s Southern Front were killed in clashes.

This was the biggest escalation in the area in the recent months. The militants had used suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices during their assault. This clearly indicated the level of “moderation” of the “opposition groups” involved in the operation.

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