The Free Syrian Army’s “Coastal Brigades” and the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” had a rough morning on Friday, as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – backed by the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Moqawama Souri (Syrian Resistance) – launched a powerful assault in the eastern countryside of the Latakia Governorate.
According to a military source in Latakia, the Syrian Armed Forces began their assault at Beit Awwan in east Latakia, capturing this small village after a series of clashes with Jabhat Al-Nusra and the FSA’s Coastal Brigades.
Following the capture of Beit Awwan, the Syrian Armed Forces would assert control over Beit Zayfa, Beit Khodour, Jabal Al-Mundayyan, Jabal Al-Ramleh, Jabal Al-Maqtaraniyah, and Tal Khodor; this was coupled with the death of over 55 enemy combatants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and the FSA’s Coastal Brigades in northeast Latakia.
In addition to their successful counter-attack in the aforementioned towns and hills in northeast Latakia, the Syrian Armed Forces also resumed operations in the imperative town of Ghammam, which is located south of Al-Rabiyah and southeast of Salma.
The Islamist rebels attempted to breach the Syrian Armed Forces’ frontline defenses at the town of Doreen; however, they were unsuccessful after sustaining a significant number of casualties and the destruction of their armored vehicles at the northern axis of Doreen.