• Syria army 'retakes' key Homs district of Khalidiya
    0 replies, posted
[QUOTE]Syrian government forces have fully captured a district that was a key rebel stronghold in the central city of Homs, state media report. The Sana news agency said the military had "restored security and stability to the neighbourhood of Khalidiya". Activists reported clashes in Khalidiya on Monday morning, but said that most of the area was under army control. The announcement comes a month after troops launched an offensive to oust rebels from Syria's third largest city. Homs has been one of the focuses of a two-year nationwide uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, in which the UN says more than 100,000 people have died. Correspondents say the capture of Khalidiya would add further impetus to the counter-offensive by government troops and their allies, which saw the nearby town of Qusair fall in June. --- [B]'Almost over'[/B] On Monday, an unnamed army officer told Syrian state television: "Today, we can report having complete control of the area of Khalidiya." --- Opposition activists told the AFP news agency that about 90% of Khalidiya was now controlled by the army. One told the Associated Press that the battle for the district was "almost over".[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23488855[/url]
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.