Syrian Army Repels Militants’ Attack on Strategic Airbase Near Damascus

The Syrian Army and its allies repelled an attack by al-Nusra Front militants on government troops’ positions in the strategic Marj al-Sultan air base in Damascus province.

The Syrian Army and National Defense Forces foiled attempts by al-Nusra Front terrorists to infiltrate the airbase, a source told FARS News.
Many of the attackers, including a senior field commander, were destroyed.

"The militant group, which faced the heavy fire of the Syrian government forces, left behind many dead and wounded militants and retreated from the battlefield," the source added.

On Saturday, the Syrian Army announced that terrorist groups has sustained heavy losses as a result of an attack by government forces and retreated from more areas in the strategic region of Marj al-Sultan east of Damascus.

On December 14, Syrian troops took control of the Marj al-Sultan airbase, located 18 kilometers away from Damascus. The active phase of the Syrian offensive in this area started about two weeks ago. The air base had been under militants' control for over two years.

Marj al-Sultan region is home to one of the most important air bases in Central Syria. Recently, the government forces have taken maximum efforts to restore security to the region, according to FARS News.

Pushing militants from the Marj al-Sultan base is another groundbreaking victory by the government forces after they lifted the Daesh siege of the Kuweires air base in Aleppo in November.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting a number of opposition factions and radical Islamist groups, including Daesh (Islamic State) and the al-Nusra Front.