Syrian forces retake strategic position in Latakia

Syrian government forces have taken full control of a strategic position in Latakia Province, the latest of the army’s recent achievements against the foreign-backed militants.

Syrian soldiers on Monday recaptured Observatory 45, a key hilltop in northern Latakia near the Turkish border which fell into the hands of Takfiri militants a week ago.

In a live report from the area, the Syrian TV showed the bodies of dead militants, among them were members of the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front. Many of those killed are said to be non-Syrians.

The military has now launched a clearing operation in the region and is tracking down the holed up militants there.

After a series of losses in several provinces, militants have been struggling to shift their focus on to Latakia, which can give them access to the Mediterranean Sea.

On Saturday, the official SANA news agency said the Syrian army had regained control of the towns of Ras al-Maara and Fleita, near the border with Lebanon.

The towns were the last bastions for the foreign-backed terrorist groups operating in the strategic Qalamoun region.

Also on Saturday, Syrian soldiers killed many terrorists after attacking their hideouts and destroying their weapons in a northern countryside of Latakia.

Government forces also carried out similar military operations in Homs, Aleppo and Daraa, inflicting heavy losses on the foreign-sponsored militants.

Syria has been gripped by deadly militancy since March 2011. Damascus blames the West and its regional allies for fuelling violence in the country by providing militants with money and weapons.

Over 140,000 people have been killed and millions displaced by relentless violence in Syria.