Government forces in Syria have carried out large-scale mop-up operations against foreign-backed Takfiri militants across the conflict-ridden Arab country, delivering stinging blows to them.

Syrian army soldiers backed by the country�s fighter jets launched an offensive on the ancient central city of Palmyra, situated 215 kilometers (133 miles) northeast of Damascus, on Sunday, killing a large number of al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front terrorists, Syria�s official SANA news agency reported.

Syrian warplanes also struck the strongholds of Takfiri militants in the Tir Maallah Village of the central province of Homs, and destroyed a number of armored military vehicles as well as a considerable amount of arms and munitions.

Additionally, Syrian military aircraft targeted the strongholds of Takfiri Daesh militants in the Wadi Qasr al-Halabat Village, which lies west of Palmyra, the town of Mahin and Huwwarin Village in the central part of the country.

A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syrian fighter jets pounded Daesh positions in al-Humaimah and Tell Ahmar villages of Syria�s northwestern province of Aleppo.

An unspecified number of pick-up trucks, equipped with heavy machine guns, were also destroyed, and several supply lines used by Daesh militants cut.

In another Sunday development, Syrian helicopter gunships targeted Daesh bases in the villages of Rasm al-Abad and Deir Hafer in Aleppo Province, killing a host of militants and destroying a large amount of ammunition.

The Syrian conflict, which started in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and left over one million injured, according to the UN.

The world body says 12.2 million people, including more than 5.6 million children, remain in need of humanitarian assistance. The foreign-sponsored militancy has also displaced 7.6 million people.

By Press TV