Syria says troops raid Damascus suburb, discover rebel tunnels

In this image taken from video obtained from the Sham News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a pair of what activists say are tanks from President Bashar Assad regime in sit in a street in the Daraya neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, just before one of them fires a shot Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. Troops battled rebels around Damascus in an effort to dislodge opposition fighters who have set up enclaves around the capital, including Daraya and Zabadani. (AP Photo/Sham News Network via AP video) (The Associated Press)

In this image taken from video obtained from Bambuser, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, men help an injured and heavily bleeding man through the rubble of a building that was destroyed following what activists said were two airstrikes in the Arbeen neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Bambuser via AP video) (The Associated Press)

BEIRUT – Syria's state-run news agency says troops have raided an opposition stronghold near Damascus, killing an unspecified number of rebels and uncovering tunnels used by them to move about and smuggle weapons.

SANA says the tunnels were discovered Saturday after clashes in Daraya just south of the capital.

Two activist groups, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees, meanwhile reported shelling and air raids of other Damascus suburbs, including areas near the international airport.

Syrian troops have been trying to capture Daraya for weeks but faced strong resistance from hundreds of rebels. Damascus suburbs have been used as a base by rebels to threaten nearby regime facilities.

Syria's crisis began in March 2011 and has so far killed more than 60,000 according to the U.N.

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