According to reports on Wednesday, army forces regained full control of the strategic town of Jarajir.

The recapturing of the town took place after heavy clashes between the Syrian army forces and foreign-backed militants near the flashpoint city of Yabrud.

The clashes are part of what locals call the "Battle for Qalamoun."

In recent days, the Syrian army has stepped up its attacks on the foreign-backed militants along the border with Lebanon. Some sources say the attacks are a prelude to a major offensive in the region.

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

The army launched attacks against militants in the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Deir al-Zour, Homs, Idlib, Latakia and Daraa on Tuesday and killed a large number of them.

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 -- support the militants operating inside Syria.

More than 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence.

HH/HH