(VOVworld) – An umbrella group of Syrian opposition fighters have seized one of the largest army bases in the southern province of Daraa.

The majority of Daraa province is controlled by opposition fighters (Photo: Getty)

Essam al-Rayes, a spokesman for the Southern Front rebel alliance, said on Tuesday that 2,000 rebel forces overran the 52^nd Brigade base which lies near a major highway running from Damascus to Syria's southern border with Jordan and next to the government-controlled province of Swedia. The base is one of government forces’ major defence positions and was used to fire on rebels stationed in eastern Daraa.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that opposition groups had taken the base after clashes and intense shelling that had killed 14 rebel fighters and 20 government soldiers.