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5 gov’t troops killed across Syria Saturday

28 April 2012 23:43 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Five army personnel, including an officer, were killed on Saturday in separate attacks carried out by "armed terrorist groups" across Syria, APA reports quoting state-run SANA news agency.

A lieutenant colonel was shot dead and four other soldiers were injured when armed groups showered their transportation with gunfire in al-Qusair district in central Homs province, the main flashpoint of the 13-month-old unrest that aims to topple the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Another armed group detonated an explosive device in the town of Kar Aud in northern Idlib province, killing two security forces, SANA said, adding that another roadside bomb went off in al- Masdouma area in Idlib, injuring a security member.

Also in Idlib, engineering unites dismantled six explosive devices planted by armed groups in different areas, said SANA.

Meanwhile, armed groups on Saturday fired at members of the border guards in the Damascus’ suburb of Yabroud, killing two of them, according to SANA.

Saturday’s escalation of violence came as the advance team of UN observers, who arrived in Syria 10 days ago, were patrolling restive areas in Syria to monitor the government and the opposition’s commitment to the UN-backed cease-fire.

The team toured Saturday the central Hama and coastal Latakia provinces.