Beirut (AFP) - Syria's army and allied forces on Tuesday took full control from rebel groups of the strategic town of Salma, in the northwestern province of Latakia, state television reported.
In a breaking news flash, the channel said the army, backed by the pro-government National Defence Forces militia, had also seized hilltops surrounding the town.
Government forces were combing the area for mines and explosive devices "left behind by terrorist groups in the buildings, streets, and squares of the town," it said.
The town's recapture is a major boost for Syria's beleaguered army, which had been mostly locked in a stalemate with rebel factions in the province.