The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) – has launched a wide-scale offensive at the Prophet Younis Mountains in the Latakia Governorate’s northeastern countryside after enduring a six week long attack by the Islamist rebels to recapture the territory they lost during their first Al-Ghaab Plains offensive in June of 2015.

On Sunday morning, this new Syrian Armed Forces offensive got off to a great start, as the latter was able to capture the hilltops of Tal Al-Madourah, Tal Al-Zi’ytariyah, and Tal ‘Antouz after intense firefights with Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and the Free Syrian Army’s “Coastal Brigades” in the Prophet Younis Mountains of Latakia.

This Syrian Armed Forces offensive was conducted after another failed assault by Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Jabhat Al-Nusra, and Liwaa Suqour Al-Ghaab (Al-Ghaab Hawks Brigade) to infiltrate into the Jubb Al-Ahmar area of the Prophet Younis Mountains.

To the west of the Prophet Younis Mountains, the Syrian Arab Army’s Special Forces continued their assault on the FSA-controlled city of Ghannam in northern Latakia, destroying two vehicles belonging to the aforementioned units before they launched another ground assault in the area.

Northeast Latakia has recently become the target for the Syrian Armed Forces, as the Islamist rebels of Jaysh Al-Fateh fired a multitude of indiscriminate rockets into the provincial capital last week, killing 8 civilians near the Real Estate Bank.