Syrian Army advances in Homs strategic district

The Syrian army continued its mop-up operations in the strategic Bab al-Hood district in Homs countryside in Northwestern Syria on Monday and took control of new positions in the area. Army units seized control of several positions and buildings in Bab al-Hood of Homs, FNA dispatches said. Meantime, other Syrian army units conducted military operations in Qaleh al-Hosn, al-Holeh, al-Rostan and Talbiseh regions in Reef (outskirts of) Homs, killing tens of armed rebels and injuring dozens more. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was almost restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies sought hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots to topple President Bashar al-Assad, who is well known in the world for his anti-Israeli stances.