On Wednesday morning, the Syrian Arab Army’s 87th Brigade of the 10th Tank Division – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) – launched a large-scale offensive in the Hama Governorate’s northern countryside that targeted the Islamist controlled towns of Kafr Zita, Qala’at Al-Madayq, Latmeen, and Al-Lataminah.
The offensive started off successfully for the Syrian Armed Forces, as they recaptured the of Al-Mughayr, Lahaya, and Markabah after intense clashes with Islamist rebels of the Free Syrian Army’s 101st Brigade, Liwaa Suqour Al-Ghaab (Al-Ghaab Hawks Brigade), Sham Legions, the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham.
Following their success in the wee hours of the morning, the Syrian Armed Forces advanced closer to the Idlib-Hama border, capturing the hilltops of Tal Sakhar, Tal-Sikeek, and Tal Uthman before imposing control over the town of Al-Haweez near the imperative city of Kafr Zita.
In addition to their success to the south of Kafr Zita, the Syrian Armed Forces were able to secure the Latmeen-Morek axis and the eastern perimeter of Latmeen after an afternoon of intense firefights.
However, following these advances, the Syrian Armed Forces pushed too deep into enemy territory; this became reality when they took over the town of Kafr Naboudah, which was then followed by a counter-attack from the Islamist rebels.