Syria: Battle continues on the outskirts of Damascus

Syria: Battle continues on the outskirts of Damascus

Syrian government forces and militant opposition groups fought a pitched battle in the Harasta and Jobar neighbourhoods located in the east of the capital Damascus on Thursday.

Throughout the day intense clashes took place with government troops attempting to break into militant controlled parts of Jobar and militant fighters fortifying themselves in buildings.

The Syrian Army carried out manouevres to push opposition forces into Harasta in an effort to protect the strategically important highway linking Damascus with Homs. According to a soldier of the Syrian Army militants were using "the Iman mosque and Khaled mosque because the high minarets allowed them to control the highway."

Another Syrian Army soldier commented that, "checkpoints came under attack from armed terrorist groups in the area between the police hospital and the ministry of irrigation. They took two or three points from us, they attacked in large numbers but we restored these points thanks to the brave men of the Syrian Army."

The battle comes just a day after Syrian government forces seized control of the strategically important border city of Qusayr. In the battle of Quasyr, Hezbollah sources confirmed that the Lebanese political group played a key role in the Syrian government's victory. Celebrations in support of the action broke out in southern suburbs of Beirut and the town of Bint Jbeil after news spread of the victory.