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Conflict in Syria

Syrian opposition controls city of Tartus hosting Russian base — source

The opposition's armed forces did not and have no plans to penetrate the Russian military bases, which continue to operate normally, the local source noted

© Valery Sharufulin/TASS

DUBAI, December 9. /TASS/. Syria’s armed opposition has full control of the Latakia province where Russian military bases are located, a local source told TASS.

According to him, armed units entered the cities of Tartus and Jableh after the opposition announced the ousting of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The source also stressed that opposition members had not penetrated Russia’s bases in Tartus and Hmeimim.

"Yesterday, the opposition took full control of the Latakia province, including the cities of Tartus and Jableh. The opposition's armed forces did not and have no plans to penetrate the Russian military bases, which continue to operate normally," he noted.

Eye witnesses told TASS on Sunday that armed opposition members had entered Jableh. According to a source, militants reached the city center on December 8, firing into the air, but did not threaten Russian service members.

On November 27, Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on the positions of government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. President Bashar Assad’s opponents seized several big cities by the evening of December 7. On Sunday morning, they entered the Syrian capital of Damascus, while the army withdrew from the city.

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Syrian conflict

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