The Syrian army says it has confiscated Israeli-made weapons in its latest operations against foreign-backed militants. A military source told the Syrian news agency SANA on Sunday that Israeli weaponry -- including missiles -- were seized in an operation in the central city of Tadmur in Homs province. A headquarters of militants was also destroyed in the suburbs of the capital Damascus. Elsewhere, government forces killed several Saudi militants in the strategic region of Qalamun. In recent days, the army has gained the upper hand in the weeks-long battle in the area, which had been used as a base for militant operations around Damascus. On Saturday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad said Israel and Saudi Arabia had set up a new joint command in Jordan to oversee the operations of militants. A recent British defense study showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are fighting in Syria against the government and people. The extracts of the study by defense consultancy IHS Jane's were published on September 16. IHS Jane's estimates that some 10,000 militants are fighting for groups affiliated with al-Qaeda such as al-Nusra Front and the rest fight for different militant groups. The analysis also said that a large number of extremists from foreign countries are also active in Syria. Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. Reports indicate that the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside the country. According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the violence. GJH/HN/AS Source: Press TV |