Syria tightening noose around militants in Homs

Syrian government forces make fresh advances in their battle against foreign-backed militants in the western city of Homs as clashes continue between the two sides in the county’s north.

Government forces have tightened their noose around the Old City of Homs in recent days and have captured several buildings, including a church.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the army’s achievements.

The London-based pro-opposition group also said government troops are shelling the Bab Hud and Wadi al-Sayeh districts to flush militants out of their strongholds.

Some 1,200 militants and nearly 200 civilians are believed to be in and around the Old City.

Meanwhile, 14 people were killed in the city after a bomb detonated near a mosque in a government-held area after Friday prayers.

Security sources said the bomb attack was in retaliation for the Syrian government’s daily advances in the militant-held Old City of Homs.

According to government sources, army forces repelled an attack on a military barracks in Hanano, killing a number of militants. Syrian troops have also managed to reopen Aleppo’s international airport.

Syria has been experiencing unrelenting militancy since March 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are said to be supporting the militants operating inside Syria.