Syrian army gaining upper hand over militants across Syria

Syrian forces carried out new operations, gaining the upper hand over foreign-backed militants across the country. A Syrian army unit on Monday ambushed militants of Jaish al-Islam terrorist group in the industrial area of Adra in the countryside of the capital Damascus, killing 20 of them, Al-Alam reported. A cache of weapons, including grenades and automatic rifles, was also seized in the operation. Syrian troops also conducted an operation against the militants in al-Rashideen in the major city of Aleppo, killing and injuring many of them. Elsewhere, in Rastan city in Homs province, Syrian soldiers attacked militant hideouts, arresting many of them and confiscating their weapons and ammunition. Also on Sunday, Syrian troops continued their operations near al-Moleha area in the countryside of Damascus, destroying a workshop for making improvised explosive devices (IED) and killing a number of the militants. Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Over 150,000 people have reportedly 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.