Military sources said on Thursday that the Syrian army had managed to rout extremists affiliated with the terrorist al-Nusra Front in areas surrounding Ghouta, close to the eastern part of Damascus.
Troops have also reportedly retaken control of neighborhoods in the capital's southern suburb of Daraya.
According to the sources, al-Qaeda-affiliated militants - mostly foreign nationals from Lebanon, Yemen, and Afghanistan - are hiding in the Damascus countryside.
Meanwhile, government troops are tracking down militants in the Latakia countryside, where the terrorist forces have long been attempting to gain a foothold.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed.
Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the armed groups.
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