State media in Syria says army troops have killed 175 rebels in an ambush south of the capital, Damascus. ?

Syrian state news agency SANA reported Wednesday that the attack happened at dawn in the opposition-held area of eastern Ghouta. ?

SANA quoted a field commander in the area saying most of rebels belonged to the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front rebel group.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the killings, saying that 70 rebels were killed in Wednesday's assault.

The Observatory, which has been documenting Syria's nearly 3-year-old conflict by relying on activists' reports on the ground, says the number of those killed likely will rise because 89 rebels have been reported missing.