Syrian government forces backed by Russian air power launched a counter-attack against rebels in the northwestern province of Latakia, a rebel group and a conflict monitor said, as violence was reported across much of the northwest on Tuesday.
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Targets included towns and villages where a partial truce agreement had brought about a lull in fighting between the government and rebels since February 27.
“Islamist rebels were able to kill dozens of the regime’s army troops and wound many others”, Taha said, pointing out that Islamist rebels seized two tanks [T 72] and destroyed a machine gun [caliber 23] belonging to the Syrian army.
In Turkey four people in the southeastern town of Kilis are said to have been killed by cross-border rockets fired from Syria. State media said the dead were members of one family.
In Latakia’s northern countryside, a number of insurgent groups launched a fierce attack on government forces and their allies in early morning and had by midday made advances, the Observatory said. Units of the Ahrar ash-Sham group which positions itself as opposition opened fire from mortars and self-made multiple missile launcher systems at the settlements of Sandar, Ain al-Ashara, Ard al-Wata and Kellaz in the province of Latakia and at positions of the government forces near the settlement of Maharda in the province of Hama.
The fighting, which has also increased around the northern city of Aleppo and seen heavy government air strikes in Homs province, undermines a weeks-old ceasefire deal and threatens to derail United Nations-led peace talks.
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“A ceasefire agreement was reached with representatives from the settlement of Badu in the province of Homs”, the bulletin says. A Syrian military source confirmed the insurgent attacks, saying the army was fighting back and had thwarted a vehicle bomb attack.
