[Iran Press TV] The Syrian army, backed by fighters from allied popular forces, has launched a massive operation to retake the strategic town of Aqrab in the central province of Homs from Takfiri...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who must be killed...
turbans.
The Syrian forces on Saturday conducted the operation to gain control of the Takfiri turbans' stronghold of Aqrab in northwestern Homs, 12 hours after the government troops captured the village of Jarisah, which is located along the northern border of the al-Rastan Lake.
This comes as a fresh batch of recruits has been deployed to the eastern countryside of Aleppo Province to help protect the roads and villages in order for the Syrian troops to progress further.
Meanwhile,
...back at the shouting match, a new, even louder, voice was to be heard...
Arab media said some 20 turbans from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
Front and Ahrar al-Sham
...a Syria jihadi group made up of Islamists and salafists, not that there's that much difference, formed into a brigade. They make up the main element of the Islamic Front but they don't profess adoration of al-Qaeda and they've been fighting (mainly for survival) against the Islamic State. Their leadership was wiped out at a single blow by a suicide kaboom at a crowded basement meeting in September, 2014...
were killed in Syrian
Separately, the Syrian army seized control of several regions in the coastal province of Latakia after fierce festivities with turbans that left scores of the bully boyz dead.
The Syrian army and popular forces took control of the villages of al-Koum al-Tahtani, al-Koum al-Fouqani, al-Mreij, Katef al-Khabi, al-Kart al-Fouqani and al-Kart al-Tahtani as well as a number of strategic hills in the province.
The Syrian troops also resumed their mop-up operations in the provinces of Damascus, Dara'a, Sweida, and Deir Ezzur.