Syrian Army begins massive offensive in northern Latakia

The Syrian Marines, backed by the Desert Hawks Brigade and National Defense Forces (NDF), launched a new offensive in the northern countryside of the Latakia Governorate on Saturday, targeting the key town of Kinsibba inside the Jabal Al-Akrad region.

A military source told Al-Masdar News on Friday night that the planned large-scale offensive was contingent on a number of factors, including the mountainous weather.

With the approval of the Syrian and Russian air forces, the Syrian Armed Forces launched their attack on Kinsibba from the recently captured village of Shalaf, where they were confronted by a large unit of jihadist rebels from Jaysh Al-Fateh (Army of Conquest).

So far, no gains have been reported by the Syrian Armed Forces; however, heavy clashes are ongoing at a number of axes in the Jabal Al-Akrad region, including the Shalaf-Kinsibba axis.