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Syrian army attacks hills around Christian village
A Syrian activist group says the army is attacking hills overlooking a rebel-held Christian-majority village near the capital Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says fighters from the Jabhat Al Nusra or Nusra Front and the Qalamon Liberation Front still control Maaloula, an ancient village that is home to two of the oldest surviving monasteries in Syria.Rami Abdul Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said troops attacked the hills around Maaloula early on Monday under the cover of heavy shelling. Rebels captured the village on Saturday. The battle has thrown a spotlight on the deep-seated fears that many of Syrias religious minorities harbour about the growing role of extremists on the rebel side in Syrias civil war. Posted by: Steve White 2013-09-10 |
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