The Syrian army killed at least 66 rebels in several areas of the country, the state media reported.

The government troops yesterday (Tuesday) killed 35 ‘terrorists’ in the contested town of Sheikh Miskin in the southern province of Daraa, Xinhua reported.

The Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front has recently focused its attacks against Sheikh Miskin due to its strategic location in southern Syria.

Moreover, the Nusra fighters recently captured a military base near Sheikh Miskin, prompting the Syrian troops to escalate their attacks against the positions of that terror group in Daraa, according to activist reports.

Separately, 15 rebels were killed Tuesday by the bombardment of the Syrian troops against the rebel-held town of Douma in the eastern countryside of the capital Damascus, according to reports.

The Syrian forces also killed 16 foreign fighters during ‘qualitative’ operations in the towns Nahla and Sheikh Youssef and elsewhere in the countryside of the north-western province of Idilb.

The recent flare in battles come at a time when representatives of the Syrian government and political opposition figures are set to meet today (Wednesday) in Moscow to lay the foundations of a Syrian dialogue to solve the long-running conflict in the war-torn country.