Hundreds of terrorists, including many foreign mercenaries, have been eliminated during clashes with the Syrian army in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, the Syrian military command said on Friday.
"Our armed forces managed to inflict huge losses on the attacking groups, hundreds of terrorists were eliminated and wounded. They [armed forces] destroyed dozens of armored vehicles and equipment and shot down and destroyed 17 drones," the command said in a statement.
The Syrian army deployed reinforcements to strengthen positions on the line of contact where battles with terrorists are taking place, the statement said.
"Our armed forces continue to repel attacks on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts, which were launched by terrorist groups led by the so-called terrorist Jabhat al-Nusra*... their formations are based on a large number of units of foreign terrorist mercenaries," the statement read.
Meanwhile, as reported by the newspaper Al-Watan, Syrian Air Force planes struck the headquarters of armed groups in the cities of Idlib and Al-Dana in the north of the country.
The defense of the Aleppo and Idlib fronts is ongoing.
The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011. After the army liberated most of the country, scattered terrorist groups continue to operate in the desert areas of the north and northeast.
Militants periodically carry out raids on civilian and military vehicles along highways and terrorize residents of remote villages. The Syrian army continues active targeted operations to eliminate the remaining militant units.
*Terrorist groups outlawed in Russia and many other countries