Syrian army withdraws from towns near Damascus: monitor

Syria's military withdrew Saturday from positions in the Damascus countryside roughly 10 kilometres (six miles) from the capital, a war monitor said, as forces press their offensive on government-held territories.

"Regime forces pulled out of towns in the southwestern Damascus countryside, 10 kilometres from the capital Damascus, which have been seized by local fighters," said Rami Abdel Rahman who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

Rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani, with the anti-regime alliance that launched the offensive in the country's northwest, said that "our forces were able to control the Saasaa (security) branch in the Damascus countryside. The advance towards the capital continues".