Syria Extends Major Offensive to Retake Territory in West

 
Reuters, 08/10 14:23 CET

By Sylvia Westall and Tom Perry

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian troops and allied militia backed by Russian air strikes and cruise missiles fired from warships attacked rebel forces on Thursday as the government extended a major offensive to recapture territory in the west of the country.

Rebel advances in western Syria earlier this year had threatened the coastal region vital to President Bashar 

al-Assad’s control of the area and prompted Russia’s intervention on their ally’s side last week.

In a further show of force, the Russian defense ministry said missiles fired from its ships in the Caspian Sea hit weapons factories, arms dumps, command centers and training camps supporting Islamic State forces.

Ground forces loyal to the government targeted insurgents in the Ghab Plain area of western Syria, with heavy barrages of surface-to-surface missiles as Russian warplanes bombed from above, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a rebel fighting there.

It said rebels had shot down a helicopter in Hama province in western Syria. It was unclear if it was Syrian or Russian.

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Source: Euronews