Damascus, Oct 28 (IANS): At least 60 armed militants were killed on Tuesday during the Syrian forces ground offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib, Xinhua reported.

The Syrian army carried out a "qualitative" operation in Jabal al-Zawiyeh region in the southern countryside of Idlib, killing 60 militants of the Jaish al-Fateh group and destroying 12 of their armored vehicles.

The Syrian army, backed by the Russian airstrikes, have unleashed a wide-scale offensive against the militant groups in several flashpoints, making notable gains.

Part of these battles are being fought in the northern countryside of the central province of Hama, adjacent to Idlib's countryside, much of which fell earlier this year to Jaish al-Fateh, an alliance of several rebel groups, mainly the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The Syrian air defenses shot down seven small drones over the government-controlled area of Izra in the countryside of the southern province of Daraa, close to the Jordanian borders.