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              Syrian Rebels Pull Back From Ancient Christian Town

   Syrian rebels have withdrawn from an ancient Christian town north of
   Damascus after the Syrian government sent tanks and other
   reinforcements.
   The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Free Syrian Army said
   Friday rebels captured and destroyed military positions during a battle
   outside the town of Maaloula.
   Militias supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad remain
   in control.
   The battles in the town this week spotlighted the delicate position of
   members of Syria`s Christian minority, who have been protected in
   Maaloula by Assad forces. Residents fear al-Qaida-linked fighters in
   the rebel faction will try to destroy the community.
   More than 100,000 civilians have died in the civil conflict, with
   another four million Syrians displaced within the country. About two
   million have fled to the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon,
   Turkey and Iraq.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-rebels-pull-back-from-ancient-
   christian-town/1744805.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/syrian-rebels-pull-back-from-ancient-christian-town/1744805.html