The al-Alam reporter said the Syrian army was preparing to flush out insurgents from the Jobar district of the governorate.

A commander of the Syrian army in charge of the operation told al-Alam that the strategic offensive is also meant to purge militants in Barzeh and al-Qaboun districts.

Syrian troops have also cut off foreign-backed militants during mop-up operations aimed at securing the strategic city of Halboun near Lebanon’s border.
    
The crisis in Syria began in March 2011 and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security forces, have been killed in the foreign-sponsored militancy.

Last month, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said militants from as many as 29 different countries were fighting against Syria.

The West and its regional allies - especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey - are reportedly supporting the militants.