Rebels seize part of Syrian military airport

BEIRUT: Syrian rebels seized a “large part” of a military airport near the capital as troops shelled the outskirts of Damascus province, a watchdog and activists said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 31 rebels and 16 soldiers in and around Damascus were among 94 people killed across the country on Saturday.

Rebels took a “large part” of the military airport of Marj al-Sultan yesterday, 15kmeast of Damascus, and destroyed two helicopters, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

A video posted on the Internet by activists appeared to show one wrecked helicopter, while a rebel shoots rockets at the airport, gripped by several fires.

The Syrian Revolution General Commission and Local Coordination Committees, two major networks of activists on the ground, meanwhile, reported shelling of several areas near Damascus.

Helicopter gunships pounded Zamalka town, northeast of Damascus, as rebels clashed with troops in nearby Harasta, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, lawyers and medics in civilian and military hospitals.

The opposition fighters have set up rear bases in orchards surrounding the capital, where they had made advances during the summer but have since been driven out. — AFP