DAMASCUS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army is poised to launch a wide-scale operation in the eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus, local media said Sunday.
The pro-government al-Watan newspaper said that the operation starts from Hran al-Awamid town near the international airport of Damascus, adding that the town witnessed over the past two days a large deployment of the Syrian army following the "infiltration of hundreds of gunmen into the town to block the international airport's runway and later surround the entire airport amid threats to target civilian planes as an attempt to paralyze air traffic to Damascus."
It stressed that a large number of army troops have arrived at the surrounding of the village and started combing it with infantry and tanks amid information about the killing and wounding of a number of terrorists.
Earlier in the day, an amateur video footage showed a number of gunmen taking aim at a civilian airplane that appeared from distance.
The army's operation comes when a thick presence of security personnel in Damascus amid reports that the rebels might be planning for striking a "vital" area of the capital, according to the Russia Today TV.
China's weekly story (2013.01.27-01.31)
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