BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian Army attacked a large group of insurgents near the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, killing more than 60, according to monitors and state media.

SANA, the state news agency, also reported that 18 civilians, including children, died when a car bomb exploded at an intersection in Jaramana on the eastern approaches to Damascus. And in the north, a missile attack in the rebel-held city of Raqqa killed three and wounded dozens, The Associated Press reported.

The rebels killed near Damascus belonged to the Nusra Front, and some were foreigners, SANA said. It published a series of photographs showing bloodstained bodies in olive drab uniforms lying on what seemed to be open sandy, desert ground. The Nusra Front is an extremist group that the United States has designated a terrorist organization.

In recent months, government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been seeking to clear areas around Damascus of rebels threatening the capital, the center of Mr. Assad’s power.