Clashes at historic Christian town Maaloula Syrian rebels have moved into the centre of Maaloula, a historic Christian town, after sending explosive-filled tyres hurtling down on security forces deployed there, a security source has said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, confirmed on Monday that rebels had seized part of the picturesque town - where a centuries-old Christian community still speaks Aramaic, the ancient language spoken by Jesus Christ - after five days of fighting. The rebels abducted 12 Syrian and Lebanese Orthodox nuns from their convent after moving into Maaloula, Vatican Radio reported, citing Mario Zenari, the nuncio [ambassador] of the Holy See in Syria. The renewed clashes in the town come as the Assad regime battles to gain control of a string of nearby towns and villages along the strategic Damascus-Homs highway north of Damascus. by AJE Staff
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 02:36:16 +0000