According to military sources on Tuesday, Syrian tanks pushed the foreign-backed militants out of the villages located around the town of Maardas and the Bteish area in the province’s northern country side.

During the operations, over 70 Jaish al-Fateh terrorists were killed and large numbers of their armored vehicles and cannons were destroyed.

Syrian troops also thwarted several terrorist attacks on the towns of Maan and Kafraa, killing some 30 more militants and destroying a number of their tanks and vehicles. 

Earlier, Syrian air force jets destroyed several militant command posts and armored vehicles and killed scores of terrorists during multiple raids on Hama’s countryside.

Over the last few weeks, Syrian forces have been making vast gains in and around the province, located 213 kilometers (132 miles) north of Damascus, which is partially controlled by groups backed by Jaish al-Fateh and the so-called Free Syrian Army militants.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. Over the past few months, the Takfiri militants active in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks as the Syrian army has managed to liberate several areas.

According to UN Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, more than 400,000 people have been killed in the crisis in Syria. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources; Press TV reported.

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