Damascus, Sep 6 (IANS): At least 20 armed rebels were killed Saturday when troops targeted the opposition fighters' positions in the country's southern province of al-Qunaitera, media reported.

The Syrian troops targeted the armed militants in the vicinity of Um Batneh and Nabeh al-Sakher areas in the countryside of al-Qunaitera, where intense battles have been raging since last month between Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the government forces, Xinhua reported citing the pro-government Sham FM radio.

The Syrian troops also destroyed two mortar launchers and artillery used by the rebels in the aforementioned areas, according to the radio report.

Meanwhile, the state-run SANA news agency said the government troops also targeted militants' positions in other areas in al-Qunaitera, including Tal Mashara, Mamtaneh and the town of Harima, eliminating an unknown number of rebels.

The battles in al-Qunaitera started late last month when militants from the Nusra Front and like-minded groups unleashed what they called the "Battle of True Promise" which was aimed at seizing many areas in the province.

Since then, intense battles raged in that area as the militant groups seized the border crossing that separates Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and also snatched over 40 UN peacekeepers in al-Qunaitera.