Assad’s forces release 48 abductees in Raqqa: State media

  “A unit of the armed forces released Monday 48 kidnapped civilians and military members, including officers, in al-Tabqeh area in Raqqa province,” Assad’s news agency (SANA) reported.

The release operation was a result of a special operation by the Assad army members backed by the national defense forces (pro-Assad militia), the agency said.

Meanwhile, opposition activists called in question for more details if the operation was real, not fabricated, to raise the loyalist morale.

More than 140,000 people have been killed in Syria's war, and millions more forced to flee their homes.