The Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard is rolling through northeastern Latakia, capturing several sites in the last 48 hours from the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army’s “Liwaa Suqour Al-Ghaab”.
Much of the Syrian Arab Army’s success in northeastern Latakia is due to the Russian Air Force’s relentless airstrikes along the Turkish border, leaving many Turkish-backed Islamist rebels dead and their military installations destroyed in the process.
On Sunday morning in the Kurdish Mountains (Jabal Al-Akrad) of northeastern Latakia, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Latakia City and Qurdaha; the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP); and Muqawama Souri (Syrian Resistance) – imposed full control over Tal Ghazalah, the Firlalaq Forests, ‘Atayrat, and the hills surrounding Jabal Al-Qazghadar after a series of violent firefights with the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra and the Free Syrian Army.
Following the capture of the aforementioned sites in Jabal Al-Akrad, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade and their allies advanced to the villages of Al-Musharifa Fawqa, Al-Musharifa Al-Tahta, Raweesat Al-Maslaanah, and Katf Al-‘Alaanah, where they were confronted by a large contingent of Islamist rebels that will attempt to forestall their progress.
In the last 72 hours, the Syrian Armed Forces have seized over 75 square kilometers of territory from the Islamist rebels in Jabal Al-Akrad; this number will likely double in the coming days as the pro-government forces intensify their assault.