Regime forces recaptured the ancient Christian town of Maaloula, which had fallen to the Al Nusrah Front and rebels in December. Three journalists from Hezbollah’s al Manar news were killed near Maaloula and two others were wounded when their car was attacked by Islamist “terrorists.” The Syrian National Coalition urged the US to take action against alleged “genocide” by regime forces. The US rejected the regime’s claim that it was winning and said the war was now one of “attrition.” The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham clashed with Kurdish YPG forces in Raqqah, and killed six Al Nusrah fighters in Deir Izzour. In Reef Dimashq, Al Nusrah and the Islamic Front battled regime forces and Hezbollah in Al-Meleha, Ghouta, and Qalamoun; the Islamic Front also clashed with regime forces near Rankous. A suicide car bomb exploded in an Alawite area in Homs.
