Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
’s regime, a monitor said Tuesday.
In retaliation, the government and its ally Russia pounded rebel-held areas in the coastal province of Latakia and neighboring Idlib on Tuesday.
The government’s attack resulted in the death of four civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
It was the bloodiest opposition assault on the area in three years, according to the Britannia-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside the country.
The surprise offensive late Monday targeted a pair of villages and observation points in Latakia, near the
"At least 27 regime forces and allied fighters, including eight officers, were killed in fierce festivities and shelling in the village of al-Ateira," said Observatory Head Rami Abdulrahman.
He said, "They took al-Ateira and kicked out regime forces from several observation points after killing or wounding them."
Another 40 government loyalists were maimed and six rebels were killed, he said.
The Observatory said the opposition fighters included local rebels from Latakia as well as more hardline forces.