Syrian army continues mop-up operations near Damascus

The Syrian army is pushing ahead with its mop-up operations to clear militants from the suburbs of the capital city, Damascus, reports said. Fighting is now underway near the town of Yabroud, North of the capital city, press tv reported. The town in the Qalamoun region is located near Nabek which was recaptured by government troops after the Syrian army seized a key nearby highway on Monday. The highway is extremely valuable to both sides of the conflict because it serves as an important link between Damascus and the country's North. The Syrian army has recently conducted successful clean-up operations across the country, inflicting heavy losses on the militants. A recent British study conducted by the defense consultancy, IHS Jane's showed that about 100,000 militants, fragmented into 1,000 groups, are fighting in Syria against the government and people. According to the extracts of the study, published on September 16, some 10,000 militants are fighting for groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda such as al-Nusra Front and the rest fight for different militant groups. The analysis also showed that a large number of extremists from foreign countries are also active in Syria. Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since March 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 millions displaced due to the violence.