The Syrian army has launched fresh attacks against foreign-backed terrorists near the capital, Damascus, as it continues to make gains on the ground

The Syrian army has launched fresh attacks against foreign-backed militants near the capital, Damascus, as it continues to make gains on the ground.

The Syrian army on Thursday targeted militant strongholds in al-Mu’addamiyah Dariya, al-Qaboun, Khan al-Sheikh, and al-Husseiniya.

Clashes were also reported to have erupted between Syrian army forces and militants in the districts of Zamalka and al-Sharidi.

No casualties have been reported so far.

On August 21, Syrian sources said army forces had attacked militants near Damascus.

Following the incident, Syrian militants and opposition activists accused the Syrian army of using chemical weapons in the attack.

The United Nations Security Council also held a meeting behind closed doors to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian army.

Videos posted online by opposition activists show lifeless bodies, mostly with no visible signs of injury. Press TV, however, could not independently verify where or when the videos were recorded.

However, the Syrian Army vehemently rejected allegations that it used chemical weapons against Takfiri militants, saying the accusations were fabricated to distract the visiting team of the UN chemical weapons experts and to cover up militants’ losses.

The head of the UN inspection mission, Ake Sellstrom, has said that the alleged attack should be investigated. The Arab League has also called on the inspectors to visit the site of the alleged chemical attack.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich says the allegations are a “premeditated provocation.”

The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million others displaced since the outbreak of the violence in Syria first started in 2011.