Syrian army forces and foreign-backed Takfiri militants are engaged in clashes inside and near the country’s northern city of Aleppo.

Reports say the army and militants are fighting near the Aleppo International Airport.

Syrian sources also say the militants have attempted to infiltrate Aleppo’s al-Rashedin neighborhood, before being repelled by army forces.

The clashes come as the foreign-backed opposition in Syria says its militants have killed an officer of the elite Republican Guard in Aleppo.

On July 19, the Syrian army gained full control of Aleppo’s al-Rashedin. Army units also killed a large number of terrorists near al-Ashrafieh, al-Sheikh Maksoud and al-Khalidieh districts and destroyed large caches of weapons and ammunitions used by the militants.

Earlier in the week, Syrian forces confiscated weapons belonging to militants in Latakia Province. The weapons included sniper rifles, automatic weapons, ammunition and communication devices.

Syria has been experiencing deadly unrest since 2011. Many people including large numbers of security and army personnel have been killed in the violence, which has forced millions of others to flee their homes.

On July 16, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said around 5,000 people are dying every month as a result of the turmoil in Syria.