Talking about maps, here another one (see attachment), showing the entire combat zone in northern Lattakiya, including the road I mentioned above - from 'ad-Durra', via 'Nab'al-Murr' to the border crossing and Kasab itself.
See what kind of serpentines going up and down can be found there (typical for most of roads in this part of Syria, and all the way some 200km further south): now imagine the insurgents having to move their T-55s all the way back in direction of Idlib in order to find a way into Turkey... While, bypassing the 'Tower 45' (Hill 45) by night was no big deal.
BTW No.1, as can be seen from that map, the IF (which was already at Qasal Ma'af before the first NDF counterattack) is still fighting for Hill 45, despite tremendous volumes of artillery and air strikes: guess all the heroes of the JAN concluded the place much too hot after all.
Tragically for the locals, Samra is still in JAN hands: all the regime claims about its recovery were premature. And the AQ-linked idiots will be delivering loads of PR-material for the regime if they lose that place.
BTW No.2: the 'Free Syrian Army' is nowhere to be seen in this part of Syria. But (Moslem) Brothers of the 'SMC Light' are 'welcoming' the JAN and IF move towards the coast now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfp8jz1bxyQ
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