At least 50 terrorists of the so-called ’Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL) takfiri group have been killed in the last 24 hours in an advance by Syrian army units east of Aleppo city.

At least 50 terrorists of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group have been killed in the last 24 hours in an advance by Syrian army units east of Aleppo city, a monitor said Sunday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants were killed in clashes as well as strikes by Russian forces that are waging an aerial campaign in support of national forces.

Since Saturday morning, Syrian army have taken more than a dozen villages from ISIL terrorists around a stretch of highway that runs east from the northern city of Aleppo to the Kweyris military base.

"The army has encircled ISIL in 16 villages south of the road," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The advances follow a major Syrian army operation in northern Aleppo against takfiri forces that has allowed the national military to virtually surround the opposition-held east of Aleppo city.

Moreover, army units, in cooperation with the popular defense groups, restored security and stability to the villages and towns of al-Dakouneh, al-Mifilseh, al-Jaberiyeh, Jub al-Safa, Um al-Amad, Kabbara, Treidem, Ain Sabel, Tal Estabel, Qseir al-Ward, Baidoura and Salehiyeh in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, a military source said.

Earlier, the villages of Huweijineh, Sobeihiyeh, al-Rodwaniyeh, Rayan, al Qaroutiyeh, Roufie and Ain Thabet at al-Sfira area, some 30 km to the northeast of Aleppo city, came under the army’s control.

After intensive operations against ISIL terrorists’ hideouts, the army units regained control over Faaouri and Riman hills in the eastern countryside of the Province.

The source added that the restoration of the seven villages comes after heavy clashes with terrorists of ISIL where big numbers of the terrorists were killed and dozens of them fled to the north.

Works of combing were at once achieved by army units in search for mines and explosives as to dismantle them in order to regain security of the villages completely, the source clarified.

In Lattakia, army units, in cooperation with the popular defense groups, restored security and stability to the villages of Ard al-Wata, Hakoura al-Tahtaniyeh and Beit al-Aous, in addition to a number of Points and heights in the northern countryside of Lattakia.

In Hama, the army’s air force destroyed dozens of terrorists’ vehicles, some of which equipped with heavy machineguns, in Atshan and Skeik villages in Hama province.

In Homs, a number of ISIL vehicles, some of them equipped with machine guns, were destroyed in army airstrikes in al-Qaryatin city in the countryside of Homs province, a military source said.

The source added that sites of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in Teir Maala village, located 7 km north of Homs city, were hit in airstrikes. Two positions were destroyed.

In Daraa, an army unit targeted a hideout for terrorist leaders within al-Nusra Front in the area surrounding the Citadel of Busra in Busra al-Sham city, 40 km east of Daraa city in the southern province of Daraa, according to a military source.

The hideout was destroyed and a number of the terrorists were killed, the source confirmed in a statement to SANA.

Another army unit targeted a gathering of terrorists in al-Ghariyeh al-Gharbiye village, in addition to destroying a mortar launcher.

In Daraa al-Balad area in Daraa city, the army’s operations against the terrorists’ positions resulted in destroying a command center and killing many terrorists to the south of the park of al-Nazihin Camp neighborhood.

In the northeastern countryside of the neighboring Sweida province, an army unit, in cooperation with the popular defense groups, fired intensively at ISIL terrorists’ fortifications and their movements, destroying a vehicle equipped with a heavy machine gun to the south of Khirbet Saad.

In Idleb, the army’s air force targets a gathering of terrorists’ vehicles in Sinjar town, destroying tens of vehicles and an armored car carrier.