Syrian army begins fresh operations in al-Qalamoun

The Syrian army launched a series of fresh operations in Damascus countryside on Monday to tighten its grip over the foreign-backed militants in Al-Qalamoun region. The army units began their military operations in Al-Qalamoun region after they regained control over Felita and Raas Al-Ma'areh yesterday and the Yabroud region earlier in the month. The Syrian army is now in the final stage of gaining full control over Al-Qalamoun concurrent with its victories in the Lattakia countryside in the Western parts of the country. Meantime, the Syrian army's advances towards the Lebanese border have blocked all the ways which were previously used by the terrorists for smuggling weapons and relief aids. The conflict in Syria started in March 2011, when sporadic pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and regional states. The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history. As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri extremists. Washington has remained indifferent to warnings by Russia and other world powers about the consequences of arming militant groups. According to reports, the western powers and their regional allies, specially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.