The Syrian army, backed by local militia forces, has regained control of the Mardj-al-Sultan military airbase outside Damascus, a source in the militia told RIA Novosti Monday, December 14, Sputnik International reports.

“Marj al-Sultan Airbase has been freed. Terrorists from the al-Nusra Front and the Jaish al-Islam have retreated towards Hush al-Salehi. Dozens of militants have been killed,” the source told RIA Novosti.

The Mardj-al-Sultan airbase is located in Douma, a town 18 kilometers from Damascus. It served as a major stronghold for the Jaish al-Islam terrorist group.

According to the source, the Syrian army and militia have managed to establish a security zone around the airbase. Army engineers are demining the area.

An earlier reports suggested that the Syrian army has launched an offensive near Kessab, liberating Al-Zahi Mountain, as well as all the hills and woods on Kessab-Latakia highway that the militant groups used for deploying snipers and shelling the region.

"The recapture of Turkmen mountain (Jabal al-Turkmen) by the Syrian forces played a significant role in reopening the highway," a military source said, according to Fars news agency.