Damascus, Dec 2 (IANS): The Syrian army announced on Monday that it has intensified operations against rebel forces in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, claiming to have killed more than 400 militants in the past 24 hours with the support of Russian forces.

In a statement released by the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces, the military said concentrated air, missile, and artillery strikes destroyed five command centres and seven ammunition depots belonging to the 'terrorists,' Xinhua news agency reported.

"During the past 24 hours, our armed forces, in cooperation with friendly Russian forces operating in Syria, continued focused aerial, missile, and artillery strikes on terrorist positions, their warehouses, supply lines, and movement axes in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib," the statement said.

The army noted that more than 400 militants of various foreign nationalities were eliminated in precise strikes in recent hours.

Syrian forces have begun advancing on multiple fronts in the countryside of Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib provinces "to encircle the terrorists, expel them from the areas they entered, fully secure them, and establish new positions in preparation for the next attack," the statement said, adding that additional military reinforcements are arriving at the front lines.

The military command dismissed reports that rebel groups have seized control of towns and villages, labeling such claims as 'false propaganda.'