Qatar- Syrian army says it captured strategic town in coastal area
Date
2/18/2016 6:09:28 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Latakia in Syria.
AMMAN: The Syrian army backed by heavyRussian aerial bombing said on Thursday it had captured the townof Kansaba in the northern countryside of the coastal provinceof Latakia.
The capture of the town in the northeastern mountainousregion allows the army and its Iranian-backed allies to beginwider operations to regain rebel held town of Jisr al Shughournortheast of Kansaba in Idlib province.
The army said the recapture of the Latakia countrysideallows it to begin a major operation to regain the northwesternprovince of Idlib which is mainly in the hands of hardlineIslamist groups.
The army has been able to regain large parts of the Latakiacountryside in recent weeks seizing the two main rebelstrongholds of Salma and Rabiya in an offensive aided by heavyRussian firepower.
Reuters