In a Saturday operation, Syrian army units surprised armed insurgent groups in their hideouts in the northern entrance of the town of al-Mleiha in the Damascus countryside, near the Tameco factory, uncovering tunnels dug out by the militants to move around and transport arms and ammunition and eliminating many of their forces, state news agency SANA reported.

Citing a military source, the report further rejected reports by pro-opposition media outlets claiming that insurgent groups had seized control of the Air Force Intelligence building in northwest Aleppo city.

This is while army forces continued their operations against armed gangs around the major city, inflicting crippling losses on the insurgents in areas near the building in Kafr Hamra, al-Lairamouns and near the Artisans Society.

Government troops also thwarted an infiltration attempt into al-Ameriyeh district of Aleppo, killing and injuring numerous armed elements.

The report further cited a Syrian military source as saying that army units also killed or injured a number of armed militants and destroyed their military hardware in areas surrounding the Aleppo Central Prison, including Hritan, Alliramoon, Bani Zaid, al-Mislmiyeh, Khan Touman, Kibtan al-Janal, Kafr Hamra, and Khan Touman.

In Daraa, meanwhile, government troops foiled another infiltration attempt by armed insurgent from al-Yadoudeh village into safe areas in al-Yarmouk area, killing and injuring more foreign-backed militants.

SANA also quoted a military source as saying that the Syrian armed forces carried out an operation in the Homs countryside areas of al-Misherfeh, Talbiseh and Masa’deh, killing or injuring a group of insurgents and destroying their military equipment.

MB/MB