Syria forces strike militant hideout in al-Hasakah countryside

Militants guard a checkpoint during clashes in the center of the northern city of Aleppo on July 25, 2012

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/07/29/253424/syrian-forces-strike-militant-hideout/

Syrian security forces have attacked a militant hideout in the al-Hasakah countryside in the far northeast corner of the country.

Clashes continue between the Syrian Army and armed groups as security forces are clearing more areas of militants across the country.

The fighting is still underway in the northern city of Aleppo and the Syrian army regained control of the city's Sallaheddin neighborhood.

In the southwestern city of Dara’a, a large number of armed men were arrested while many other militants were killed, when they tried to cross into Syria from neighboring states of Jordan and Turkey.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Sunday reiterated that several countries in the region are aiding the anti-Syria militants.

"Syria is the target of a global plot whose agents are the countries in the region," Muallem said.

“We believe that all the anti-Syrian forces have gathered in Aleppo to fight the government… and they will definitely be defeated,” he added.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Damascus says outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists are the driving factor behind the unrest and deadly violence while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the killings.

Western states have been calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down. However, Russia and China are strongly opposed to the Western drive to oust Assad.

The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country. There are reports that a very large number of the armed militants are foreign nationals.