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45 Syrian soldiers killed in rebel ambush near Damascus

Xinhua, February 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

As many as 45 Syrian soldiers were killed on Sunday in an ambush in the east suburb of Damascus, a monitor group reported Tuesday.

The ambush, conducted by the so-called Jaish al-Islam, or the Islam Army, is believed to be a retaliation against the Syrian army's shelling of rebel-held areas in the east suburb of the capital city, the Syria Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

Thirty-five of the dead were instantly killed when militants went on a shooting spree, while the rest are believed to have died later of their wounds, the UK-based watchdog added.

Jaish al-Islam is a Saudi-backed militant group located in several areas of Syria, mainly in eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus.

With around 15,000 members, the rebel group is mainly responsible for the daily mortar attacks on civilian areas in Damascus. Endi