Syrian army makes fresh gains against militants

Syrian army forces have continued their military operations against foreign-backed militants to flush them out of parts of al-Meraiyie in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

Syrian soldiers repelled the attack by ISIL militants in al-Tharda mountain and Huwaijet Saqr and restored security to areas in al-Meraiyie village, some 10 kilometers east of the provincial capital city of Deir Ezzor.

They also targeted ISIL strongholds in al-Meraiyie, destroying 17 vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns and seizing weapons and equipment.

Syrian army troops have also taken control over Dahret al-Marhiyat, Dahret al-Wardeh areas and Maadar village in Kafer Yabous in Damascus countryside, killing many terrorists of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.

Over 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced due to the ongoing crisis, according to the United Nations.