DAMASCUS, Syria — The Syrian regime forces achieved significant progress on the front opened in October on Latakia's countryside by controlling the town of Salma in the north of the province Jan. 12. On this same date, another military offensive opened on the southern countryside of Hama, specifically on the Homs-Hama border.

The offensive began when the regime forces took control of the village of Jarjisa north of al-Rastan lake — which separates the provinces of Homs and Hama — and advanced eastward toward the village of Hirbnafsah — controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamic factions. Intense artillery shelling by the regime forces was met with violent clashes with Jabhat al-Nusra militants and other factions.

The Syrian Arab News Agency did not cover the regime offensive on Hirbnafsah very extensively, only reporting Jan. 19 on the Syrian air force's destruction of vehicles of Jabhat al-Nusra fighters in the town. The National Defense Forces announced via YouTube that the regime forces were able to control the al-Madajen area north of Hirbnafsah on Jan. 20, a victory corroborated by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The pro-government daily Al-Watan reported Jan. 25 that the regime forces brought in reinforcements to Hirbnafsah “to increase its effective presence in the region amid militants' attempt to achieve any victory on the Syrian army, even moral.”