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Al-Qaida fighters kill 26 troops in southern Syria

08 November 2014 04:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least 26 pro-government troops have been killed during an attack by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front against a town in the Mount Hermon in southern Syria, a monitoring group reported on Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The Nusra fighters attacked the town of Bait Tima on Thursday, killing 26 fighters of the National Defense Forces (NDF), a militant group loyal to the government, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that at least 14 fighters of the Nusra Front and other jihadist groups were also killed.

Meanwhile, pro-government news websites said the Nusra Front attacked the towns of Kafr Hur, Bait Jin and orchards in Mount Hermon, killing 26 and injuring 22 of the NDF, some of whom are in critical conditions. The reports said tens of the Nusra fighters were also killed.

Mount Hermon, locally known as Jabal al-Shaikh, is a cluster of mountains with three distinct summits, which straddle the border between Syria and Lebanon as well as the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Nusra Front has been active near the Golan Heights, attacking several army outposts there. The Syrian army and the NDF have been engaged in intense battles with the jihadist group in that part of the country.