(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian rebels made Friday more gains in the Coastal Latakia province, recapturing strategic town of Kasnaba and three hilltops after week of major offensive against regime forces and allied militias in Jabal al-Akrad area, rebel commanders said.
An Ahrar al-Sham commander said in footage posted online that rebels have seized Kasnaba, Ayn al-Qantra, Tellat al-Haddadeh and Wadi Basour, or Basour valley.
Rebels, who launched 'al-Yarmouk Battle' early this week to recapture ground lost to regime favor months ago in Jabal al-Akrad and Jabal al-Turkman, have also seized control of Tellat a-Malek and Tellat Rasha, al-Qermil, al-Hakoura and Mzeghla villages.
The regime forces had captured Kansaba in February, part of a wider advance in Latakia's northern countryside at the time, backed by Russian air power.
Fighting picked up again in the area after a ceasefire deal later that month brought a temporary lull. The truce has mostly unraveled throughout areas where it took effect in the west of the country.
Nusra Front said in an online statement that an alliance of Islamist rebel groups including itself had captured Kansaba and a number of other villages, seizing several tanks and artillery guns.
It was a rare gain for rebels in Latakia since Russia intervened in the five-year Syrian conflict on the side of Bashar al-Assad last September.
Northern Latakia borders Idlib province, a stronghold for insurgent groups including Nusra Front.
At least 113 Syrians troops have been killed and 300 more have been wounded in the ongoing battles in Jabal al-Akrad and Jabal al-Turkman areas, medical source told Zaman al-Wasl.
The source who works in Latakia's Health Directorate said the city's hospitals have been flooded with dead and wounded soldiers, numbers of casualties have been transferred to Tartus and Jableh hospitals.
Pro-regime al-Masdar news site quoted army commander as saying: "Areas seized...by militants are empty and eventually has no strategic significance."
The site added that it is necessary for the regime's highly-trained Desert-Hawks to be re-deployed to northern Latakia frontlines. (With Reuters)
An Ahrar al-Sham commander said in footage posted online that rebels have seized Kasnaba, Ayn al-Qantra, Tellat al-Haddadeh and Wadi Basour, or Basour valley.
Rebels, who launched 'al-Yarmouk Battle' early this week to recapture ground lost to regime favor months ago in Jabal al-Akrad and Jabal al-Turkman, have also seized control of Tellat a-Malek and Tellat Rasha, al-Qermil, al-Hakoura and Mzeghla villages.
The regime forces had captured Kansaba in February, part of a wider advance in Latakia's northern countryside at the time, backed by Russian air power.
Fighting picked up again in the area after a ceasefire deal later that month brought a temporary lull. The truce has mostly unraveled throughout areas where it took effect in the west of the country.
Nusra Front said in an online statement that an alliance of Islamist rebel groups including itself had captured Kansaba and a number of other villages, seizing several tanks and artillery guns.
It was a rare gain for rebels in Latakia since Russia intervened in the five-year Syrian conflict on the side of Bashar al-Assad last September.
Northern Latakia borders Idlib province, a stronghold for insurgent groups including Nusra Front.
At least 113 Syrians troops have been killed and 300 more have been wounded in the ongoing battles in Jabal al-Akrad and Jabal al-Turkman areas, medical source told Zaman al-Wasl.
The source who works in Latakia's Health Directorate said the city's hospitals have been flooded with dead and wounded soldiers, numbers of casualties have been transferred to Tartus and Jableh hospitals.
Pro-regime al-Masdar news site quoted army commander as saying: "Areas seized...by militants are empty and eventually has no strategic significance."
The site added that it is necessary for the regime's highly-trained Desert-Hawks to be re-deployed to northern Latakia frontlines. (With Reuters)
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