Earlier this morning, the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) launched a large-scale counter-offensive in the Turkmen Mountians (Jabal Al-Turkmen) of northern Latakia after losing several sites to the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard on Sunday.

According to rebel social media pages, the Islamists have recaptured the town of ‘Ateiri and they are advancing towards the strategic Zahiya Mountains (Jabal Al-Zahiya) that overlook the Turkish-Latakia border.

Should the Islamist rebels recapture Jabal Al-Zahiya from the Syrian Armed Forces, they will have effectively cutoff the latter from the northern axis of Al-Rabi’yah; this aforementioned town is considered the Free Syrian Army stronghold in Jabal Al-Turkmen.