At 00:55, Syrian forces have taken control of Jableh city and are expected to enter Qardaha in the coming hours.

Axar.az reports that the security chief of Latakia province confirmed this to Al Jazeera.

According to him, more than 50 Syrian soldiers have been killed in the battles.

Meanwhile, the SANA news agency reported intense fighting within Qardaha, the hometown of the Assad clan.

Earlier, government forces deployed to Latakia to counter the rebels had driven Assad loyalists out of three villages.

The armed offensive against government forces by Alawites, referred to as "Assad loyalists," began on March 6. Rеports suggest that Iran may be backing the insurgents.