Damascus, October 8 (RHC)-- After regaining control of the Syrian town of Dukhaniyeh, the army plans larger scale attacks aimed at completely clearing the regions around the capital Damascus from militant groups.

According to Syrian local media, "security and stability" was restored in Dukhaniyeh and its surroundings after militants were pushed out of the region. Syrian forces launched an operation to flush militants out of Dukhaniyeh after it was captured by foreign-backed militants in September.

In recent months, Syrian forces have managed to retake several militant-held areas around the capital. Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are reportedly supporting the militants operating in Syria.

More than 191,000 people have been killed in over three years of fighting in the war-ravaged country, says the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), calling the figure a probable "underestimate of the real total number of people killed."