Five law enforcement members were killed Thursday when an armed group attacked their patrol near a prison in Syria's northern province of Idlib, state-run SANA news agency reported.

The authorities responded and battled with the armed group, killing and wounding some of its members, said SANA.

A day earlier, three "terrorists" were killed when they were planting an explosive device on the railway near Salat al-Zuhour village in Idlib's countryside, said SANA.

Also on Wednesday, an armed group attacked the endowment department in Damascus' suburb of Douma, vandalizing and stealing its properties.

In another incident, an armed group assassinated sheikh Mohammad Ahmad Ouf Sadeq, Imam of Anas bin Malek Mosque in al- Midan neighborhood in Damascus.

Sadeq, 37, who had condemned all terrorist attacks in the unrest-torn country, was shot dead in Qadam Assali near Damascus while he was driving home.

The Syrian government has blamed the unrest in Syria on plots by terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs, and said more than 2, 000 army and security personnel were killed during the past months, while the United Nations put the death toll in the Syrian unrest at more than 5,400.