The Syrian army said Sunday that it recaptured 70 percent of the district after fierce fighting with insurgents in the area.

They also found tunnels that militants used for different purposes. Some of the tunnels had rooms fitted with special devices for torture and execution. The militants had also built a lab for developing bombs. 

A Syrian army commander told Al Alam that many insurgents speak with a foreign accent.

Latest reports indicate that the Syrian army is making progress in its operation to retake control of the western city of Homs.

Syrian forces on Saturday advanced into some areas of the city including Qusour, Jouret al-Shayah and Khaldiyeh, as well as some parts of Old Homs.

The army has eliminated a large number of terrorists and dismantled explosive devices in the operation.

Meanwhile, Syrian troops have also fighting foreign-backed Takfiri militants on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.