Syria's army advances on ground as opposition elects new chief

The Syrian troops continued its advancement on many fronts across the conflict-stricken country on Saturday as the exiled opposition elected a new head after days of deliberation. The Syrian army has restored security and stability to the industrial zone of al-Qaboun on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, according to state-run SANA news agency. It said the army discovered a 500 meter-long tunnel under al- Qaboun that leads toward Damascus, claiming the tunnel had been used by armed rebels. The army also recaptured the northwestern part of the Saida Zainab camp in Damascus' countryside, said SANA, adding that the troops have also tracked down rebels in the Damascus' suburbs of Hajjira and Daraya as well as Elab farmlands in the suburb of Douma. In the coastal city of Banyas, SANA said the competent authorities seized large amounts of "dangerous chemicals" inside a "terrorist" den on a farm. In the central province of Homs, SANA report said that the army tightened control on a number of buildings southwest of the Real Estate Bank and east of al-Nour Mosque in Bab Hood neighborhood. Also in Homs, an army unit destroyed missiles that were loaded onto three big trucks near Bir al-Amir south of Palmyra city as other units pressed ahead with operations to restore security and stability to al-Breikat and al-Sharqi neighborhoods. A military source was cited by SANA as saying that armed rebels were killed and others injured in al-Wa'er, al-Qarabees, al-Qusour and Bab Sbaa' neighborhoods in Homs city. The advancement of the army in Homs is part of its wide-scale offensive aimed at targeting the rebels' positions in several cities nationwide. As the Syrian army was advancing in several cities, the Western- backed Syrian opposition National Coalition elected Ahmad Jarba as president in a run-off vote held in Istanbul on Saturday. Jarba, a tribal figure from the eastern Hasaka province, is seen as having a close connection with Saudi Arabia. He defeated another strong candidate, businessman Mustafa Sabbagh supported by Qatar. The Syrian opposition has long been divided due to the conflicting views of the Saudi-backed bloc, the Muslim Brotherhood bloc and members backed by Qatar, according to local observers. The former leader of the coalition quit months ago over disagreement on potential talks with the government in Damascus. The Syrian conflict is ongoing between forces loyal to the Syrian government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on March 15, 2011 and has killed more than 90,000 people.