Syrian troops advance further inside Yabrud

Syrian forces backed by fighters from the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah have advanced further into a militant-held region near the border with Lebanon.

Syrian media on Friday said government soldiers have taken control of eastern and northeastern areas in the western town of Yabrud.

The army has pushed militants off the hill of Aqaba, while Hezbollah fighters are engaged in flushing out militants from the region.

Heavy clashes have been also reported between the towns of Sahel and Yabrud.

The al-Qaeda linked militant group operating in the region has confirmed losing one position at Aqaba, acknowledging that its members have been forced to go to rear bases.

The Syrian military has launched a major offensive to retake control of Yabrud – the last major town in the strategic Qalamoun Mountains that remains under militants’ control.

On Wednesday, Syrian soldiers managed to take full control of a farmland on the northern edge of the town, effectively cutting off supply lines to the militants holed up there.

The new gains for the army come days after Syrian troops regained the control of the town of al-Zareh following days of fierce clashes with militants in the province of Homs.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Some sources say around 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.