Syrian Army Seizes a Strategic Village on the Turkish Border as the Islamist Rebel Defenses Collapse

Syrian Arab Army’s 103^rd Brigade of the Republican Guard continued its triumphant march across the vast mountains of northeastern Latakia, capturing more villages and hilltops in Jabal Al-Turkmen (Turkmen Mountains) and Jabal Al-Akrad (Kurdish Mountains) as they eye the imperative Turkish border-crossing that is used by the Islamist rebels to enter Syria.

The Syrian Arab Army’s 103^rd Brigadeand their allies began their assault at the large hilltop of Tal Harisha after advancing from the Tal Sheikh Mohammad front in Jabal Al-Turkmen; this battle was short-lived, however, as the pro-government forces seized this site following a brief firefight with the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and their allies from the Free Syrian Army’s “1^st Coastal Brigade”.

Moments after capturing Tal Syriatel, the Syrian Armed Forces stormed the integral mountaintop village ‘Ateera, where they were confronted by a large Jabhat Al-Nusra contingent; however, the aforementioned Islamist group was unable to maintain defensive positions and thus, conceded the village to the pro-government forces after only a 90 minute firefight.

For the Islamist rebels, the Syrian Arab Army’s capture of ‘Ateera spells bad news for them, as their long-standing stronghold of Rabi’yah is now susceptible to an assault by the pro-government forces that are entrenched in the Zahiyah Mountains.