Syrian army launches operation near Damascus

The Syrian army has launched a major operation against foreign-backed militants in a suburb of the capital, Damascus.

A large number of militants were killed or injured during the offensive in Jobar, a militant-held area on the outskirts of Damascus.

The district has been the scene of fierce fighting between the two sides in the past few days.

In another battlefield in the northwestern city of Aleppo, Syrian soldiers have engaged in renewed fighting with armed groups inflicting heavy losses on the militants.

The Syrian army troops are pushing ahead with their operations to push out foreign-backed militants from residential areas across the country.

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, 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.

The pullout leaves the militants confined to a single district on the outskirts of the city.

The deal marks a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ahead of the June 3 presidential election.