Damascus, Sep 20 (IANS): Syrian forces Saturday started a wide-scale offensive on a key rebel-held Syrian city northeast of the capital Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Syrian Air Force carried out eight airstrikes on Adra and the nearby Tal Kurdi, Xinhua reported.
The Syrian army clashed with an array of rebel groups in Adra, mainly the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
Adra is a part of the Damascus's suburb of Douma, which has for long fallen to an array of rebel militias.
Adra, home to more than 20,000 Syrians, contains the site of Syria's largest industrial zone, which is located east of the town.
The industrial zone's area is around 7,000 hectares, with half being designated for services and the other half for industries.