Syrian forces kill four suspected militants

DAMASCUS, June 2 (Reuters) Four gunmen and a guard were killed when Syrian security forces today foiled an attack near the premises of the state-run television in Damascus, the official SANA news agency reported.

Two militants and two members of the security forces were wounded during the shootout, SANA said. Authorities arrested four other militants.

Syrian Television showed footage of the bodies of the four gunmen and said the group was armed with US-made M-16 assault rifles ''which are unavailable in Syria and apparently came from neighbouring countries''.

Syria's relations with neighbouring Jordan have deteriorated since last month when the kingdom, a close US ally, said it had arrested members of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on charges of plotting attacks in the country. Jordan said the suspects had been trained in Syria.

Damascus is also under US pressure to seal its eastern border to stop militants from crossing into Iraq to fight US forces there.

Syria says it is doing its best but calls on Washington and Baghdad to do more too.

Fayez al-Sayegh, head of Syrian radio and television, told Reuters a police patrol had spotted the gunmen and engaged them in the heavily guarded Ummayad Square area in central Damascus.

''This is a major area in Damascus, full of security installations, hotels and other state buildings,'' he said. ''The security force dealt effectively with the group as shown from the number of casualties among its members.'' NO EXTRA SECURITY State media said initially the gunmen were targeting a deserted building in the area but gave no reason. No group claimed responsibility for the reported attack.

Traffic was normal near the television compound few hours after the shootout, a Reuters witness said. There was no sign of increased security.

Syrian forces clashed with Islamists militants several times last year, usually in raids to arrest them.

Authorities said in December they had found a bomb factory in the northern city of Aleppo belonging to a militant group that, they said, was monitoring government officials and state facilities.

Political analyst Thabet Salem said the gunmen involved in today's shootout were ''likely to be members of an Islamist militant organisation similar to the ones authorities have been facing lately.'' Damascus says the 2003 US-led invasion of neighbouring Iraq gave rise to militants in the region.

In the early 1980s, Syria crushed a fundamentalist revolt led by the Muslim Brotherhood, leading to the killing and imprisonment of thousands.

REUTERS DKS ND1624