According to our correspondent, heavy clashes were underway between government troops and the foreign-backed militants in the region. Army forces succeeded to clear an area from terrorists.

The residents of the region also welcomed the army’s gains against the terrorist groups.

“The terrorist groups have targeted areas around the shrine of Sayyida Zainab with mortar shells, but security returned to the areas during the past two days after army started its operation,” a resident told al-Alam on Tuesday.

Sayyidah Zainab shrine, located in Rif Dimashq Governorate, contains the grave of Zaynab, the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Units of the armed forces also carry out several mop-up operations against militants in the provinces of Aleppo, Homs and Idlib.

On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said European countries will “pay the price” if they send weapons to foreign-backed militants in the Arab country.

President Assad also rejected US, British and French claims that Syrian forces had used chemical weapons against the Takfiri militants fighting in the country.

“If Paris, London and Washington had even one piece of evidence for their claims, they would have presented it publicly,” he said.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and thousands of people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed so far.