Syrian troops clash with armed rebels in Qaboun district of capital

Syria's state-media said government troops have inflicted hefty losses to armed groups in the Damascus neighbourhood of Qaboun on Thursday.

Unspecified large number of armed men were killed in the military crackdown, said SANA news agency, adding that the armed men started to burn the bodies of foreign fighters, so their bodies would not be identified, xinua reported.

Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the army stormed Qaboun with tanks, adding that four members of the Syrian forces were killed in the fighting.

The Observatory placed the death toll of Thursday at 110. Yet their report couldn't be verified.

Meanwhile, pro-government media reports said the Syrian troops have completely regained control of the Midan neighbourhood, which has been a stage of armed conflict between government troops and armed rebels over the past four days.

The capital's clashes mark the death-match between the two sides, trying to eliminate one another once and for all.

Hundreds of people have been reported killed since the Damascus ' military face-off started Sunday. Many others have been displaced seeking refuge in Mosques, schools and relatives.

The crisis in the capital has brought the economic situation to a standstill as almost all shops are closed fearing uncertainty particularly after Wednesday's blast that killed three senior officials in Syria.

Armed rebels claimed responsibility for the blast that killed the minister of defence, his deputy and the assistant vice- president.