Russia, Iran-Backed Syrian Troops Push Back Al-Qaeda-Linked Rebels in Damascus

Troops loyal to the Iran- and Russia-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad have reconquered areas in and around the Syrian capital of Damascus that they lost over the weekend after a surprise attack launched by al-Qaeda-linked jihadi rebels and other opposition groups. Media controlled by the Assad regime and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an organization that uses ground sources to monitor the conflict, report that the dictator’s troops managed to repel the attack by the rebels. -- More...