Syria's army launched an offensive Friday against rebel groups in a bid to strengthen its control in the northwest Latakia province, a bastion of the regime, according to a statement by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Following a series of losses in the neighboring Idlib province, the army is now fortifying its positions to preempt potential rebel attacks on Latakia, home to the small Alawite religious community from which President Bashar al-Assad hails.
Regime forces attacked rebel positions overnight from Thursday until Friday in the northeast of Latakia province, UK-based monitoring group said.