Syria foils suicide bombing plot in capital Damascus: state news agency

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria foiled a suicide bombing plot in the capital Damascus with security forces killing three people they described as terrorists and arresting three others, state news agency SANA said on Monday.

SANA quoted a security source as saying the plot, which involved the use of explosive belts, was thwarted with the cooperation of residents of two towns of a formerly rebel-held rural region southwest of Damascus.

It did not say when the would-be attack was foiled, or give further details.

President Bashar al-Assad's government regained control over the heavily populated region from insurgents about three years ago after reaching reconciliation deals with its local elders.

But security forces continue to restrict movement into the towns of Kanaker and Sasaa, from which those involved in the bombing plot came according to state media.

Russian-brokered deals brought back much of the strategic southern border area with Jordan and Israel back under state control after years in rebel hands. But the region continues to suffer from lawlessness and targeted killings, residents say.

(This story corrects, in paragraph 5, name of second town cited in state media to Zakia, not Sasaa)

(Reporting by Maha El Dahan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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