Syrian Army Retakes ISIS Oil Route

It seems the Syrian Army has been gaining ground in Lattakia, and has recaptured a highway that ISIS was using to smuggle oil into Turkey’s porous borders according to Covert Geopolitics.

Russia and Iraq have accused Turkey of smuggling ISIS oil.

Lattakia is the principle port city of Syria, and is also the region where Turkey had downed a Russian jet, with the jet crashing into Yamadi village in Lattakia– just off the Syrian-Turkish border.

According to FARS News, a Syrian army officer said that they had regained control of the Al-Koz mountain, a part of the mountainous region of Rabi’a that borders Tirkey.

“After the infantry units reach the Turkish borders, the siege of Rabi’a will be tightened,” he said.

“The recapture of Turkmen mountain (Jabal al-Turkmen) by the Syrian forces played a significant role in reopening the highway.”

For the first time in three years, the Syrian army has recaptured the “strategic” Lattakia-Kassab highway.

At this stage, complete recapture of the province would allow the Syrian army to seal off that section of the Turkish-Syrian border.

It should be noted that there are other routes to Turkey’s porous border that ISIS could use, though Lattakia would logically be the closest point to the Turkish ports, like Ceyhan, where oil can be exported through the Mediterranean Sea.

Sources: Zero Hedge, Al Jazeera, FarsNews, Geopolitics.co, Pan Armenian, Macedonia Online

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