Christians in delicate position after rebels briefly capture Syrian town

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebel fighters withdrew on Thursday after briefly capturing a historic Christian town in the centre of the country as part of a campaign to take control of strategic mountains near Damascus, opposition sources said.

Several rebel brigades, including a contingent of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, swept into the town of Maaloula in the Qalamoun mountains on Wednesday after overrunning a roadblock manned by troops and militia loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the sources said.