The militants have already called for reinforcements in a bid to try to save their last key stronghold of Kinsibba, which is located at the border with the Idlib province, according to intelligence sources.
"Heavy air and artillery attacks on the militant defense lines near Kinsibba testify the Syrian Army's firm will to conduct an imminent operation in the region to access the southern territories of Idlib Province," the sources said.
The fresh offensive came after the Syrian troops managed to liberate the strategic town of Bashoura, located in northern Latakia, in fighting that left dozens of militants killed and many more wounded.
The army sources said that taking full control of Bashoura had paved the way for the government forces' more rapid offensives against militants based in Latakia's mountainous northeast and the southern parts of Idlib province.
According to the sources, the Syrian Army and the NDF are swiftly advancing along several fronts in northeast Latakia as they advance on the militants' stronghold of Kinsibba.
Some sources did not rule out that the Syrian troops will first try to seize back the village of Kabane before launching a large-scale offensive to seize Kinsibba. Kabane is seen as a gateway to the eastern side of Kurds mountain and the militants' strongholds of al-Sirmaniyeh and Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib Province.
In addition, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed earlier this month that advanced, super-maneuverable Su-35S multi-role fighters had begun their combat mission in Syria.
