Fri May 16, 2014 11:42:49
The Syrian army continues to tighten the noose around foreign-backed militants in the town of Jobar, east of the capital Damascus, and in parts of Rif Homs in western Syria, Al-Alam reports.
Syrian troops on Thursday continued their push to free more areas from foreign-backed militants in the two regions.
Dozens of militants of the terrorist groups, al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), have been killed in during the army operations.
Over the past months, the Syrian army has achieved major victories in its battle against Takfiri groups across the Arab country, particularly in the Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the war in his country had strongly shifted in favor of government forces as they had made continuous gains in their battle against the terrorists. Assad has also pledged to strike terror “with an iron fist.”
The latest operations come after foreign-backed militants evacuated the Old City of Homs, surrendering full control of the flashpoint city to the Syrian army.
The safe exit of militants from the center of Homs, located 162 kilometers (100 miles) north of the capital Damascus, was part of a deal reached on May 4 between the government and the militants. The deal was brokered by Iran, Russia and the United Nations.
BA/BA
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