HAMA, Syria — The Syrian regime launched a broadscale attack against the opposition forces in the northern countryside of Hama and the countryside of Latakia, under an intense cover by the Russian air force and with the support of the Lebanese Hezbollah. The attack, which is the first Russian-backed move by the regime, included a long line and several axes and aimed to secure the stronghold of the regime on the Syrian coast and limit the influence of the opposition in its vicinity.
Operations started on Oct. 7, as the regime’s military convoys invaded the opposition sites adjacent to the Syrian coast, but the regime officially announced the battle the next day.