Syrian Rebels Say They Seize Southern Air Base, State Denies

A rebel spokesman and an activist say Syrian opposition fighters have captured a major southern air base, a claim denied by state TV.
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Syrian Rebels Say They Seize Southern Air Base, State Denies
An Israeli F-15 I fighter jet takes off during an air show at the graduation ceremony of Israeli air force pilots at the Hatzerim base in the Negev desert, near the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on December 26, 2013. (Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)
The Associated Press
6/11/2015
Updated:
6/11/2015

BEIRUT— A rebel spokesman and an activist say Syrian opposition fighters have captured a major southern air base, a claim denied by state TV.

Maj. Issam al-Rayyes, a spokesman for the Southern Front alliance, says the Thaala air base in Sweida province was captured by rebels Thursday, two days after opposition fighters seized another key military base in southern Syria.

Ahmad al-Masalmeh, an opposition activist in southern Syria, says troops withdrew from Thaala to other parts of Sweida province.

State TV denied the claims, saying troops have repelled three attacks on Thaala.

President Bashar Assad’s forces have suffered a string of defeats in recent months at the hands of rebels, a local al-Qaida affiliate and the Islamic State group.