Syrian officials say new military gains have shifted the balance of power in the government's favor in recent weeks.

In the past two months, the Syrian army has moved steadily against the terrorists in key battleground areas, making advances near the border with Lebanon and considerably lowering the threat to Damascus.

The Syrian army is "approaching victory" in Qusayr, almost three weeks after launching an offensive to recapture the western town, an official in the governor's office of Homs Province said.

He said the troops are advancing from the east and south of Qusayr, fighting pockets of resistance along the way. The terrorists still have control of the western and northern parts of the town as well as some areas in the center.

Army troops have also been pounding western parts of the town with artillery as they move toward the center.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces pushed foreign-backed militants out of Jobar, a key district on the edge of Damascus, according to the state news agency. It would bolster the defenses of the Syrian capital.

SANA news agency said Tuesday that government troops "restored security and stability to some vital areas" in Jobar, on the northeastern edge of the capital from where the terrorists had been trying to push into Damascus for weeks.

Syria has been gripped by unrest for more than two years. The foreign-sponsored militancy has taken its toll on the lives of many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel.