Eight killed in series of mortar attacks in Syria

At least eight people were killed and scores of others injured Friday in a series of mortar attacks launched reportedly by the rebels in Syria's Aleppo, Idlib and Homs provinces, media reports said.

Mortar attacks landed in the al-Jamiliyeh district of Aleppo, killing four people and injuring 12 others, Xinhua reported citing SANA news agency.

Three people were killed and four others wounded when a mortar shell struck the 30 Street southwest of Idlib province, according to SANA.

In the central province of Homs, a woman was killed and 13 people were injured when a mortar exploded at the al-Mahatta street, the news agency said.

Meanwhile, dozens of "terrorists" were killed Friday by the Syrian troops near the capital Damascus. It said the "terrorists" were killed between the town of Maloula and Qastal.

While SANA spelled no details about the number of ambushed rebels, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV placed the number of the killed members of the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front in the ambush at 70.

The TV said that some 150 wounded rebels escaped to the Lebanese town of Ersal after the ambush.

The Syrian troops have been fighting what they call "terrorists" for almost three years. The international community is preparing for holding the Geneva II peace conference designed to bring representatives of the government and the opposition together to work out a political solution to the protracted impasse.