Army regains control of 2 districts in Damascus

The Syrian army recaptured two strategic Southern districts of Damascus, killing scores of foreign-backed terrorists. Syrian army soldiers stormed al-Thiabiya and al-Husseiniya districts, near Sayyida Zainab shrine, killing at least 70 armed terrorists on Friday, Al-Alam reported. The capture of these two strategic districts, located between the two main highways leading to Jordan, strengthens Syrian government’s hold on major supply lines and puts pressure on armed groups under siege for months in areas adjacent to the center of Damascus. Syrian army has recently tightened his grip on areas in the country's center and along the coast and the North-South highways, as well as the capital and its environs. Since the outbreak of the turmoil in Syria in March 2011,more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes into sprawling refugee camps in neighboring countries. According to reports, the western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting militants operating inside Syria to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad.