Syrian government forces launched security operations against the militants in the provinces of Damascus, Deir Ezzor, Homs, Quneitra, Idlib, and Daraa on Monday and killed a large number of them, the official SANA news agency reported.

The Syrian armed forces also captured a large number of machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, mortar shells and explosive devices.

The army units destroyed three cars full of weapons and ammunition and killed several militants in the Damascus suburbs of Adra al-Balad.

Government troops attacked groups of “terrorists” in the Damascus suburbs of Khan al-Sheeh, killing all of them, including one from "Saudi Arabia."

Army units killed one dozen militants in the al-Maqala area north of Damascus.

Elsewhere in Idlib countryside, the army killed a large number of militants, many from “Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Egypt.”

The Syrian army has recently conducted successful clean-up operations across the country, inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

Recent investigations by various media outlets have found that the militants are taking amphetamine stimulants to stay on their feet in exhausting battles against Syrian government forces.

Al-Qaeda linked groups are also said to be using stimulant drugs extensively as they launch many attacks at night and are engaged in gruesome battles.

In an interview with Argentina’s Clarin newspaper in May 2013, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said militants from 29 different countries were fighting against the government in different parts of the country.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence.

BA/BA