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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian forces kill four suspected militants
2006-06-02
More details on 'attack' DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Four gunmen and a guard were killed when Syrian security forces foiled an attack on Friday near the premises of the state-run television in Damascus, the official SANA news agency reported. Two militants and two members of the anti-terrorism security forces were wounded during the shootout, SANA said. Authorities arrested four other militants.

The gunmen were members of an Islamist militant group and had obtained their weapons from a neighboring country "to carry out acts of sabotage against a number of vital targets," SANA quoted an unidentified Interior Ministry official as saying. Syrian Television showed footage of the four gunmen's bodies and said they were armed with U.S.-made M-16 assault rifles.
Pictures at site show old model M-16s
Security forces also seized home-made explosives and other weapons, along with tapes of religious sermons, the Interior Ministry official said. The statement did not name the group or give further details on the weapons' source.

Syria's relations with neighboring Jordan have deteriorated since last month when the kingdom, a close U.S. ally, said it had arrested members of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on charges of plotting attacks in the country. Jordan said the suspects had been trained in Syria. Damascus is also under U.S. pressure to seal its eastern border to stop militants from crossing into Iraq to fight U.S. forces there. Syria says it is doing its best but calls on Washington and Baghdad to do more too.

Fayez al-Sayegh, head of Syrian radio and television, told Reuters a police patrol had spotted the gunmen and engaged them in the heavily guarded Ummayad Square area in central Damascus. "This is a major area in Damascus, full of security installations, hotels and other state buildings," he said. "The security force dealt effectively with the group as shown from the number of casualties among its members."
I think this is the same 'heavily guarded area' another group tried to 'attack' last year
The Interior Ministry official said the gunmen were spotted while trying to sneak to a deserted building in the area but gave no reason.
Last year's 'attack' was also on a empty building, we seem to have a pattern
Traffic was normal near the television compound few hours after the shootout, a Reuters witness said. There was no sign of increased security.
Packed up the 'shutter guns' and left?
Syrian forces clashed with Islamists militants several times last year, usually in raids to arrest them.

Authorities said in December they had found a bomb factory in the northern city of Aleppo belonging to a militant group that, they said, was monitoring government officials and state facilities. Political analyst Thabet Salem said the group responsible for Friday's shootout was likely to be "similar to the ones authorities have been facing lately."

Damascus says the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of neighboring Iraq gave rise to militants in the region.
"It's Bush's fault!"
In the early 1980s, Syria crushed a fundamentalist revolt led by the Muslim Brotherhood, leading to the killing and imprisonment of thousands.
Posted by:Steve

#4  The US gave a lot of M-16s to the Lebanese.
Posted by: ed   2006-06-02 12:24  

#3  DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Primary investigations into the arrested terrorists who tried to infiltrate this morning into buildings Western Damascus were provided with weapons from a neighboring country, interior ministry said Friday. An official source at the ministry said "primary investigations of the arrested terrorists showed that until last Ramadan ( the fasting month in Islam) last October; they were following one of the Sufi ways, then they joined a Takfiri group ( Islamic fanatic militant group)."

The source noted that "arms were supplied to the group by a neighboring country to stage sabotage acts aimed at vital targets and national interests."

The source underlined that the arrested terrorists would be sent to the specialized judiciary after completing the investigation.

The source clarified that an armed clash took place at 6,15 h this morning among members of the fighting terror units froces and a terrorist group including ten members when they tried to infiltrate into a deserted building near the general customs headquarters Western Damascus.
" The clash led to the killing of four armed terrorists and the martyrdom of a member of the fighting terror forces while the other terrorists were arrested, two of them wounded," the source said.

It added that ten US guns were confiscated from the group with their ammunition and an other ammunition in addition to locally made explosives together with tapes recording including religious preaches and other arms.
Posted by: Steve   2006-06-02 12:17  

#2  armed with U.S.-made M-16 assault rifles.
Aren't those illegal in Syria?
Posted by: 6   2006-06-02 12:15  

#1  "See? We do our part! We'll kill 4 more 'from another country' next time the heat's on, just to show our determination to fight Islamic terror"
Posted by: Frank G   2006-06-02 10:53  

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