Syria cracks down on militants
Syrian security forces clashed with militants, including former bodyguards of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, near the capital early today, leaving one policeman dead and two militants in custody, the state-run SANA news agency said.
SANA, quoting an unidentified Information Ministry official, said the militant group was made up of former bodyguards of toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But it was unclear if any of those detained were aides to the fallen dictator.
The fighting on a mountain overlooking the capital, Damascus, marked the second day of clashes within Syria related to the fighting in neighbouring Iraq.
Yesterday, Syria claimed it was cracking down on militants – a persistent US demand – when it announced its forces had killed an Arab extremist near the Lebanese border and arrested 34 other foreign extremists.
Syria has been under intense pressure to crack down on such suspected militants, who the US and Iraq claim are using Syrian territory to infiltrate into neighbouring Iraq to fight coalition forces.
Today’s battle erupted on Qassioun Mountain, which overlooks Damascus and is about two miles south-west of the capital.
Police Major Ahmad Hijazi was killed in the clashes and two other soldiers and two policemen were wounded, the Information Ministry official told SANA.
Security forces also detained a Jordanian suspected militant, Sharif Ayed Saeed al-Smady, and the wife of his brother, who was identified as Mohammed Islam. No further details were provided on the woman.
It was also unclear how many suspected militants were involved in the battle.
The official said the operation was mounted after several days of surveillance of the suspected militant group, which included those wanted for terrorist-related crimes and armed robbery.
Security forces are continuing operations against the group, the official said without elaborating.
The latest violence followed yesterday’s clashes that killed what Syria described as an Arab extremist, plus two Syrian soldiers, near the Lebanese border.
