The Syrian army took control of Qal’at al-Hisn near the Homs countryside on Thursday, following clashes which left tens of militants dead.

The latest army inroad on foreign-backed militants follows Syrian forces' other achievements in the country’s west, including in the cities of Yabrud and Homs.

Backed by the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, Syrian forces on Sunday pushed back foreign-backed militants from Yabroud, the last major militant stronghold in the Qalamoun region.

Meanwhile, Syrian troops are clearing the strategic mountains, forcing dozens of Takfiri militants in the area to flee toward the Lebanese border.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive over the past months there, aiming to cut militant lines across the border.

The latest losses prompted militants to launch mortar shells that targeted a school in Homs earlier in the day. The retaliatory attack killed four children and left 19 others injured.

Syria sank into war in March 2011 when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.

SHI/SHI