The Syrian Army has taken full control of Khan Shaykhun, a strategic town in northwestern Syria and one of the last strongholds of foreign-backed terrorists, for the first time since 2014, a war monitor confirmed.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media the government forces took the helm on Wednesday, surrounding Turkish forces at a nearby observation post, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced.

Syrian "forces took full control of the town of Khan Shaykhun and are currently clearing it of mines," the war monitor’s chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

According to the Observatory, 21 anti-government militants, including 18 Takfiri terrorists were killed in Wednesday's clashes, along with 10 army troops or allied fighters.

Idlib Province and parts of adjacent Hama Province constitute the last major militant stronghold in Syria.