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20 Syrian soldiers killed defending airbase against IS attack

Xinhua, April 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 20 Syrian soldiers were killed when repelling an attack by extremist groups against a military airbase in Syria's southern province of Sweida, a monitor group reported Saturday.

Among the killed soldiers, 12 were with the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA), a brigade in the Syrian army that comprises of Palestinian refugees in Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said militants, believed to have been with the Islamic State (IS) group, launched an offensive against the Khalkhala airbase in the countryside of Sweida Friday, adding that 15 of the assailants were also been killed during the offensive.

Other activists said the Syrian forces managed to repel the attack against the airbase in Sweida, a predominantly Druze province that has largely remained safe during Syria's four-year-old conflict. Endit