The Syrian army plans to launch a large-scale military operation to regain the strategic town of Maheen in Homs province from Islamic State militants, sources said.

The Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Forces are considering a large-scale military operation to drive ISIL militants out of the strategic town of Maheen in Syria's Homs province, according to intelligence sources.

If launched, the operation would come several days after the army scored significant victories over Islamic State militants, including the recapturing of several villages and areas near Maheen.

© Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresenskiy Syrian city of Homs

The liberation of Maheen will mean that the Syrian forces will have retaken everything separating it from the ancient city of Palmyra in Homs Province except one ISIL stronghold in Quayratayn. Maheen is strategically located near a main highway in Syria which connects Homs and Damascus to cities in northern Syria.

Late last week, the army seized strategic hills around Maheen as it continued to advance toward the town.

In another development, the Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces managed to push the militant groups back from a strategic area near the town of Ghamam in the coastal province of Latakia.

Dozens of militants were killed in the army's operation, with the rest of the militant groups reportedly retreating from the battle front.

Earlier, it was reported that Russia's air strikes had been a force multiplier for Syrian ground troops in the province of Latakia, where the army has liberated a number of strategically-located villages over the past couple of days.