DAMASCUS, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian troops carried out "qualitative" attacks against the positions of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and the likeminded Ahrar al-Sham groups in the northwestern province of Idlib, killing 13 of them on Monday, according to the state news agency SANA.
It said the Syrian army targeted the extremist groups' positions and hideouts in the vicinity of the town of Taftanas, which is 17 kilometers from Idlib's city center.
SANA said that both groups in the countryside of Idlib receive support from regional countries, mainly the Gulf States, adding that Ahrar al-Sham group in particular receive a big Saudi and Qatari support.
Meanwhile, the opposition activists Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian helicopters dropped crude barrel bombs on the farmland surrounding the city of Khan Shaikhoun in Idlib countryside, stopping short of giving details on causalities.
The al-Qaida-linked groups have recently ramped up their attacks against several areas in Idlib in a bid to consolidate their positions in that province and cover for their losses in other parts of the country.
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