A field commander said on Sunday the heights includes Ra’as Tahoun al-Hawa hill, the plateau overlooking the Lebanese town of al-Tufail, Jamea’a al-Nour hill, and the Birds Reserve hill, according to the state news agency SANA.

The commander pointed out that by seizing the heights, the militants’ supply routes between the Lebanese borders and Rankous and other areas have been cut off.

Army operations in the area resulted in destroying several bastions of militant groups in the plain and al-Mahabeh villages.

Syrian army units also destroyed militant hideouts in al-Muna hill.

The Syrian army also inflicted heavy losses on the foreign-sponsored militants in al-Rastan, Talbiseh, Eyoun Hussein, al-Ameriyeh, al-Dar al-Kabira and al-Dwair in the countryside of Homs.

Syria has been experiencing unrelenting militancy since March 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are said to be supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

A 2013 British defense study showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are fighting in Syria against the government and people.

More than 150,000 people have reportedly been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.

NTJ/SHI