Syrian forces have thwarted an attack by a group of gunmen against an Army checkpoint

Syrian government forces have thwarted an attack by a group of foreign-sponsored gunmen against an Army checkpoint in the central province of Homs.

A number of gunmen were killed during intense clashes with Syrian troops on Monday as they assaulted the military building in the Tal Um Sakher district of the al-Qusayr city, located about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) southwest of Homs. Iranian Press TV writes about this referring to the official SANA news agency.

Syrian soldiers seized various kinds of weapons and munitions after the battle.

Also on Monday, a unit of government forces killed a number of armed men in the al-Sheikh neighborhood of the Aleppo city, situated 310 kilometers (193 miles) north of the capital Damascus.

The slain gunmen had terrorized citizens, and committed numerous counts of murder, robbery, and looting in the region.

Syrian soldiers also clashed with gunmen in the towns of Khan al-Asal, Atarib and Deir Jamal, and killed dozens of them.