Suicide attack stems Assad advance near Syria-Lebanon border

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers from al Qaeda-linked groups blew themselves up at an army post in the Syrian town of al-Nabak on Wednesday, halting an advance by President Bashar al-Assad's forces near the Syrian-Lebanese border, activists said.

The battles raging around the Qalamoun range spanning Syria and Lebanon are part of a much-anticipated offensive by Assad's forces to secure a highway linking Damascus to the province of Homs and thus consolidate their grip on central Syria.