Syrian troops have advanced into rebellious suburbs of the capital Damascus as activists claimed that more than 6,000 people were killed in March alone, making it the deadliest month in Syria's two-year-old conflict, a state-run newspaper said Tuesday.

The troops have advanced in the eastern suburb of Jobar and wrested back control over many buildings that had been captured by rebel groups, the paper said, adding that the troops advancement came after a series of "qualitative operations" that resulted in the killing of many "terrorists," a term used by the government to describe the rebels.

The troops have also succeeded in destroying dens of armed rebels in the suburb of Douma, another hotspot in Syria's long- standing conflict.

According to the paper, clashes have also continued in other suburbs, mainly Daraya, Adra and Harasta.

Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of 6,005 people in March alone. It said the death toll include 2,080 civilians, 298 of whom were children and 291 women.

Among the dead were also 1,400 rebel fighters, 86 defectors and 1,464 regular forces, said the Observatory.

The high death toll mirrors the intensity of clashes in recent days amid reports that the rebels are preparing to wage a large- scale offensive against the capital after several unsuccessful attempts in the past months.

The UN has recently placed the overall death toll of Syria's crisis at more than 70,000 people.