The military operation on the villages of Western Dumayna, Haidariyeh and Esh al-Warwar began this morning.
“The fighting lasted for three hours until we established control over these villages, which are considered strategic because they lie on the road between the cities of Homs and Qusayr and will allow us to block supplies to the militants in Qusayr ," the lieutenant colonel said on condition of anonymity.
Western Dumayna is some eight kilometres (five miles) north of the rebel-held town of Qusayr, which has been at the center of fierce battles between militant groups and the Syrian army.
Last week, activists said the town of Qusayr was surrounded by army troops on three sides and that some 25,000 residents were still inside.
On Monday, the daily Al-Watan newspaper, said the Syria army had halted operations in the area to allow civilians to leave safely.
The area has been a strategic boon to the militants, who used it as a base from which to block the main road from Damascus to the coast, impeding military movement and supply chains.