Damascus: The Syrian army Wednesday recaptured three towns from the rebels in southern Syria, as part of the wide-scale onslaught it has waged since Sunday in that part of the war-torn country.
The towns of Dair Maker, Talet al-Arus, and Talet Sarjeh in the southern province of Darra fell to the government troops Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported citing Syrian media, adding that the army was pushing forward under heavy fire cover.
The Syrian troops have unleashed a wide-scale offensive against radical militant groups in the southern provinces of Daraa and Qunaitera since last Sunday.
The pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said the Syrian troops` offensive in Qunitara was aimed at recapturing the borderline separating that province from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and like-minded groups seized control of large swathes of the borderline.
The army was also fighting "ferocious battles" in the countryside of Daraa, capturing several towns during the full-blown offensive.
The state news agency SANA also reported Tuesday that the areas between the countryside of the capital Damascus, Qunaitera and Daraa were witnessing a massive offensive by the Syrian army, adding that dozens of "terrorists" were killed, including field commanders.
Meanwhile, other media reports said the Syrian army has received "clear orders" to decisively deal with the rebel-held areas in southern Syria.
Al-Mayadeen said people in Daraa were helping the Syrian government forces, by informing them about the positions of the rebel groups in several areas there.
Military experts said the operation in the southern region has strategic significance, as the army was attempting to recapture strategic points the Nusra Front and other radical groups had seized control of in the past few months.
Experts said the military operation was aimed at ending the threats of the rebels in the countryside of Daraa, near the Jordanian border, and in Qunaitera, on the border with Israel.
The army puts the southern region on the top of its priority to cut the rebel supply lines and to weaken the Nusra and like-minded groups in Daraa and Qunaitera, according to military experts.
Experts also said that the presence of the radical rebels in both provinces posed a threat to the capital, which is only 100 km away from either one of them.
In an interview published Tuesday, President Bashar al-Assad stressed that his country has taken the decision to fight terrorism since the beginning of the conflict nearly four years ago.
