Sources said that the Syrian troops liberated the villages of Rashou and al-Armeed from the terrorists after advancing north from the strategic town of Kinsibba.
FARS reported that the army and the NDF are currently less than 15 kilometers away from the strategic city of Jisr Al-Shughour in northwestern Syria's Idlib province; this is the closest the Syrian troops have been to this terrorist stronghold in 8 months, according to FARS.
Earlier, government forces managed to retake a number of key sites along the Aleppo-Latakia Highway (M-4 Highway), in an advance that paved the way for the Syrian Army to reach the hilltops overlooking Jisr al-Shughur, located in the western part of Idlib province.
#SYRIA Report of the Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides (March 7, 2016) https://t.co/SWow780Xzw pic.twitter.com/cQfAANl3Sf
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 7 марта 2016 г.
Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting against a number of opposition factions and extremist groups, including Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, which are prohibited in many countries, including Russia.
#SYRIA Terrorists are still taking efforts to set back the peacemaking process in Syria
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 7 марта 2016 г.
In February 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2268, endorsing the Russia-US agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, shortly before the ceasefire came into force on February 27.
Adding to the Syrian Army's anti-terror effort is Russia's ongoing air campaign, which was launched on September 30 when more than fifty Russian warplanes, including Su-24M, Su-25 and Su-34 jets, commenced precision airstrikes on Daesh and al-Nusra Front targets in Syria at the behest of President Assad.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in turn that "Russian aircraft are not performing strikes in those regions where a willingness to cease fire and to start negotiations were expressed."
