Syrian troops kill 8 al-Qaida fighters in south

A total of eight fighters of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front were killed during clashes with the Syrian government troops in the country's southern province of Daraa on Thursday, a monitoring group said.
The eight fighters were killed in the town of Sheikh Misken in Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Nusra Front and like-minded groups unleashed an offensive last week to recapture the government troops' positions in the Sheikh Misken area, but the Syrian troops shelled the Nusra positions and secured the eastern part of Sheikh Misken on Wednesday amid ongoing intense battles there.
Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA said the Syrian troops clashed with "terrorist" groups in different parts of Daraa on Thursday, killing many rebel fighters.
In the northwestern province of Idlib, the Syrian troops killed 15 rebels and injured tens of others, many of whom were Arab nationals, according to SANA.