Syrian military helicopters have dropped hundreds of leaflets over Damascus and its suburbs urging rebels to hand over their weapons or face inevitable death, The Associated Press reported.

The warning comes amid a widening military offensive to recapture areas on the edge of the capital and its outskirts that have fallen into the hands of rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.

The focus of the 17-month uprising has returned to the capital's suburbs after weeks of heavy fighting in the northern city of Aleppo.

The leaflets dropped Tuesday, Aug 28 are signed by the armed forces and the army's general command.

The leaflets said the Syrian army is determined to "cleanse every inch of Syria" and that "gunmen" have no choice but to give up their weapons or face "inevitable death."