Syria is planning to hold municipal elections on Sept. 18, the state news agency SANA reported Wednesday.

The date for the polls was set by a decree issued by the regime of Bashar Assad to elect members of the country's local councils.

Syria has 14 provinces some of which are controlled by armed opposition groups.

Parts of Idlib, Raqqa, Hasakah and the countryside of Aleppo are controlled by anti-regime groups, while the YPG/PKK terrorist group controls Deir el-Zour and most parts of Raqqa and Hassakeh provinces along with parts of Aleppo.

Syria has been mired in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

U.N. estimates show that more than 8 million Syrians have either been internally displaced or become refugees in other countries since 2011.

The Syrian regime held presidential elections in May in which authorities say Assad won 95.1% of the votes.