Report: Syrian Army Killed 60 Islamist Rebels North of Damascus

Troops Ambushed Rebels Near Maaloula

A major ambush occurred today near the contested Christian town of Maaloula, north of Damascus, and reports suggest the Syrian Army has killed as many as 60 Islamist rebels.

The town of Maaloula has repeatedly changed hands between rebels and the Syrian military, and fighting has continued in the surrounding countryside. Today’s ambush appears to targeted rebel reinforcements from another town in the area.

The fighters belong to the Liwa al-Islam, one of the Salafist factions in the rebellion, and the group reported that about 400 fighters were involved, with 60 dead and dozens wounded.

Details on the Syrian civil war continue to be difficult to confirm with no independent media on the ground, though both the pro-rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian state media told much the same story today.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.