The Syrian troops have carried out a series of mop-up operations in the western city of Homs, forcing foreign-backed militants out of the city’s flashpoint areas.

The Syrian armed forces destroyed a terrorist hideout and a workshop for manufacturing explosives in Jouret al-Shiyah neighborhood on Monday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

The Syrian forces also inflicted heavy losses on foreign-backed armed groups in al-Qusour, al-Khalidiye, al-Dar al-Kabireh, Tal Dahab, Teldo and Kafr Laha in Homs countryside.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between the Syrian troops and militants in the district of Qudssaya, near the Syrian capital, Damascus. The Syrian army killed a number of militants many of whom were foreign nationals, SANA stated.

Terrorist hideouts were also raided by Syrian forces in the towns of Jobar, al-Shifoniyeh, al-Rihan, Harmala, Harasta and Barzeh al-Balad.

In addition, Syrian troops stormed a terrorist hideout in the town of Zamalka, about four kilometers (2.5 miles) east of Damascus. A large amount of weapons and munitions was destroyed after the fierce gun battle.

Similar operations were carried out by the Syrian army in the towns of Daraya, al-Hejjeira and al-Dhiyabiyeh.

The Syrian army has fully purged the town of Kimam in the strategic region of al-Qusayr near the border with Lebanon.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government security forces and army personnel, have been killed in the violence.

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.