Reporting by Abdulsalam haj Bakri
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The year 2016 was the harshest and most severe on the people of Lattakia’s countryside since the start of the revolution.
They migrated from the countryside and the regime occupied 85% of the countryside with support from Russian airplanes and sectarian militias from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon the most prominent being Hezbollah.
The Syrian resistance did not stand idle as Lattakia’s countryside fell to the regime, and they made several attempts to regain control of the areas they lost. The resistance failed to regain control of the areas for a number of reasons including, perhaps the most important, the fragmentation of the factions, the factions did not form a joint operation room to manage the battle, and Turkey withdrawing its support from these factions. In addition, many of the factions became involved in the fighting in Aleppo city and its northern and western countryside.
- In mid-January 2016, the migration of all the population of Lattakia countryside was complete. They headed to camps set up along the Turkish border in Idlib’s western countryside.
- In January, resistance factions were forced to withdraw from their position in the mountain and villages of Lattakia’s countryside to preserve the fighters after Russia began bombing them with different kinds of internationally prohibited weapons.
Russia targeted them with thermobaric missiles, Guided Bomb Units 28 bombs, and cluster bombs. The regime airplanes bombed them with Napalm and explosive barrels in an unprecedented intensity.
- On 28 January, the regime forces with the auxiliary militia forces tightened their grip on most of the Jabal al-Akrad area and Jabal al-Turkman after entering the villages close to Kinsaba district in Jabal al-Akrad and Rabia district in Jabal al-Turkman. The regime forces had taken control of these areas before, but their attack was stopped.
- On 2 February, the Russian air force reduced its bombardment of what remained of Lattakia’s countryside.
- On 14 February, Russia falsely claimed that it withdrew its forces from Syria, and Russian airplanes continued to bomb Lattakia’s countryside.
- Towards the end of February, the resistance made their first attempt to regain control of the areas they had lost control over. During the battle called “Pushing Back the Tyrants,” the resistance managed to regain some locations in Jabal al-Turkman.
- On 27 July, the resistance factions launched a major attack on the regime forces as part of “Yarmouk” battle. As a result of the battle, they managed to regain some of the villages and Kinsaba district in Jabal al-Akrad. The resistance lost these areas once the battle stopped.
- On 10 October, the resistance factions tried to regain their former positions during “Ashoura” battle which lasted only a few hours. They failed to achieve any mentionable advancement.
- A few days after this battle, the regime forces launched a major attack with the aim of taking control of Jabal al-Tufahiya and other positions in Jabal al-Turkman, but the resistance factions defeated this attacks and the regime forces incurred heavy losses. Regime media outlets announced that over 100 regime fighters were killed.
- On 8 December, the resistance forces killed an Iranian officer holding the rank of colonel during clashes in the area surrounding al-Kabaneh village in Jabal al-Akrad.
- The regime tried dozens of times to take control of al-Kabaneh the last village in Jabal al-Akrad but it remains free.
- The ceasefires signed during 2016 did not prevent the regime and Russian airplanes from targeting civilians in camps. They also continued to bomb the resistance fighters and their supply routes connecting them to Idlib’s western countryside.
- The resistance factions shelled the regime positions repeatedly with Grad missiles.
- Turkey killed 15 people throughout 2016 as they attempted to cross into Turkey illegally.
- The displaced persons from Lattakia’s countryside experience difficult conditions in the camps which are exacerbated by the extreme cold, snow, and rain fall as the camps lack sufficient infrastructure.
- Some resistance factions operating in Lattakia’s countryside participated in battles in Hama’s northern countryside and Aleppo.
- On 15 December Ansar al-Sham brigade merged with Jaish al-Islam.
- Since 20 December, Lattakia was hit by severe low temperatures and snowfall that reached a depth of 50 centimeters in elevated areas. The severe weather conditions are expected to continue with the start of 2017.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The year 2016 was the harshest and most severe on the people of Lattakia’s countryside since the start of the revolution.
They migrated from the countryside and the regime occupied 85% of the countryside with support from Russian airplanes and sectarian militias from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon the most prominent being Hezbollah.
The Syrian resistance did not stand idle as Lattakia’s countryside fell to the regime, and they made several attempts to regain control of the areas they lost. The resistance failed to regain control of the areas for a number of reasons including, perhaps the most important, the fragmentation of the factions, the factions did not form a joint operation room to manage the battle, and Turkey withdrawing its support from these factions. In addition, many of the factions became involved in the fighting in Aleppo city and its northern and western countryside.
- In mid-January 2016, the migration of all the population of Lattakia countryside was complete. They headed to camps set up along the Turkish border in Idlib’s western countryside.
- In January, resistance factions were forced to withdraw from their position in the mountain and villages of Lattakia’s countryside to preserve the fighters after Russia began bombing them with different kinds of internationally prohibited weapons.
Russia targeted them with thermobaric missiles, Guided Bomb Units 28 bombs, and cluster bombs. The regime airplanes bombed them with Napalm and explosive barrels in an unprecedented intensity.
- On 28 January, the regime forces with the auxiliary militia forces tightened their grip on most of the Jabal al-Akrad area and Jabal al-Turkman after entering the villages close to Kinsaba district in Jabal al-Akrad and Rabia district in Jabal al-Turkman. The regime forces had taken control of these areas before, but their attack was stopped.
- On 2 February, the Russian air force reduced its bombardment of what remained of Lattakia’s countryside.
- On 14 February, Russia falsely claimed that it withdrew its forces from Syria, and Russian airplanes continued to bomb Lattakia’s countryside.
- Towards the end of February, the resistance made their first attempt to regain control of the areas they had lost control over. During the battle called “Pushing Back the Tyrants,” the resistance managed to regain some locations in Jabal al-Turkman.
- On 27 July, the resistance factions launched a major attack on the regime forces as part of “Yarmouk” battle. As a result of the battle, they managed to regain some of the villages and Kinsaba district in Jabal al-Akrad. The resistance lost these areas once the battle stopped.
- On 10 October, the resistance factions tried to regain their former positions during “Ashoura” battle which lasted only a few hours. They failed to achieve any mentionable advancement.
- A few days after this battle, the regime forces launched a major attack with the aim of taking control of Jabal al-Tufahiya and other positions in Jabal al-Turkman, but the resistance factions defeated this attacks and the regime forces incurred heavy losses. Regime media outlets announced that over 100 regime fighters were killed.
- On 8 December, the resistance forces killed an Iranian officer holding the rank of colonel during clashes in the area surrounding al-Kabaneh village in Jabal al-Akrad.
- The regime tried dozens of times to take control of al-Kabaneh the last village in Jabal al-Akrad but it remains free.
- The ceasefires signed during 2016 did not prevent the regime and Russian airplanes from targeting civilians in camps. They also continued to bomb the resistance fighters and their supply routes connecting them to Idlib’s western countryside.
- The resistance factions shelled the regime positions repeatedly with Grad missiles.
- Turkey killed 15 people throughout 2016 as they attempted to cross into Turkey illegally.
- The displaced persons from Lattakia’s countryside experience difficult conditions in the camps which are exacerbated by the extreme cold, snow, and rain fall as the camps lack sufficient infrastructure.
- Some resistance factions operating in Lattakia’s countryside participated in battles in Hama’s northern countryside and Aleppo.
- On 15 December Ansar al-Sham brigade merged with Jaish al-Islam.
- Since 20 December, Lattakia was hit by severe low temperatures and snowfall that reached a depth of 50 centimeters in elevated areas. The severe weather conditions are expected to continue with the start of 2017.
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