Syria army continues to confront militants in renewed clashes

Fierce clashes continue between Syrian troops and foreign-backed militants, following significant gains by the army against the armed groups, Press TV reports.

Syrian forces have recently conducted successful mop-up operations against Takfiri militants across the country, inflicting heavy losses on them.

According to Syrian military sources, the army regained control of the orchards located between al-Qarabis and al-Ghouta areas in the western city of Homs.

This came after President Bashar al-Assad said in a speech on state television on Sunday that an “iron fist” was the only means of putting an end to the foreign-sponsored terrorism, which has gripped the country since March 2011.

Assad said he does not “think that any sane human being would think that terrorism can be dealt with via politics.”

“There cannot be any political efforts or political progress if terror is striking everywhere. Therefore terror must be struck in order to get the political process moving on the right track,” the Syrian president said.

A very large number of the militants operating in Syria are reportedly foreign nationals.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions of others displaced in the violence in Syria.