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DARAA, Syria, July 4-- The Syrian army on Wednesday showcased Western-made weapons confiscated from the rebels during the nearly two-week-long battles in the southern province of Daraa. In the town of Izra'a in the countryside of Daraa, the confiscated weapons were put on the ground, where soldiers showed reporters various types of ammunition. Among the weapons were U.S.-made TOW missile launchers and other Western-made military gear, including anti-tank launchers, anti-aircraft launchers and mine-sweepers. Some of the weapons were brand new in their boxes while others have been used. Additionally, several tanks seized by the army from the battles were put on display to prove that the rebels have been heavily backed by Western powers. A military officer, who asked not to be named, told Xinhua that the displayed ammunition and weapons are only part of what the rebels had left behind in the battles of Daraa, mainly in the towns of Ghaliyeh, al-Gharbiyeh, Sora, Alma and Mlaihet al-Atash. "These weapons have exposed their lies as they are mostly Western-made, including U.S.-made rocket launchers," he said. The army in Daraa is fighting various rebel groups, including al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and militants allied with the Islamic State (IS), the officer pointed out. The battles in Daraa have lasted nearly two weeks, as part of the army's resolve to dislodge the rebels from the key province near the Jordanian border and from nearby areas in the countryside of Sweida and Quneitra in southern Syria. | 
