Victorious Syrian Army says has made more gains

The Syrian Army says it has made more gains against foreign-backed militants during operations in the west of the country, killing a top militant commander.

On Friday, the army said its units regained control of more areas in the Latakia Governorate and killed several militants, including militant commander Walid Oweissi of Libyan nationality, in the operations.

There were also Qatari and Tunisian nationals among the killed militants.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.