(better known by its former name Jabhat al-Nusra...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-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 .. ...
) and Turkistan Islamic Party launched a big assault against the Syrian Army in Hama and Latakia provinces.
The attack targeted government defenses in the areas of Sheir as-Sahab, al-Bahsa and al-Masharee az-Zirayah along the provincial border region connecting northwest Hama and northeast Latakia.
In the event, well-prepared Syrian Army forces managed to fully repel the jihadist assault after a rather brief round of festivities, inflicting noteworthy losses on both myrmidon groups.
According to military-affiliated sources, the Syrian Army managed to kill at least ten Death Eaters and destroy three armed pickups.
The whole basis for the al-Qaeda operation was to avenge rebel forces currently enduring (unsuccessfully so) a major Syrian Army offensive in Damascus’ East Ghouta region.