Syrian rebels claim capture of air base near Damascus
Syrian government forces’ helicopters are parked at a military base near the northern Syrian town of Taftanaz, in the Idlib province, on Nov. 9, 2012.
Syrian rebel fighters say they captured a government helicopter base 10 miles outside of Damascus, Reuters reported.
The news agency's story is based on an activist video, reportedly filmed at Marj al-Sultan base, in which Syrian rebels show they have complete control of the air base. This information could not be independently verified.
In the video a commander says, according to Reuters, "With God's help, the Marj al-Sultan airbase in eastern Ghouta has been liberated."
In the last month Syrian rebels have captured, sometimes temporarily, a number of government military bases.
More from GlobalPost: Syrian rebels capture key military base
On November 22 the BBC reported Syrian rebel fighters claimed a victory in a military base in the town of Mayadeen. Earlier this week rebels captured a key military base near Iraq in the Deir al-Zor province.
But while these claimed strategic seizures suggest the Syrian rebels are advancing, they have yet to capture a major city from Bashar al Assad's government.
On Friday, GlobalPost reported the death toll for Syria's civil may have surpassed 40,000.
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