""Slipping across the border from Turkey insurgents
have waged an, largely unreported, war. Inching forward, village by village and
town by town the rebels now hold the two large mountain ranges of Jebel Akrad
and Jebel Turkman that make up most of the north of the province. As they moved
forward, Alawite families have hastily grabbed their possession and fled. "We
have six Alawite villages under our control now, but there are no Alawites left
here. They believe that if Bashar al-Assad goes, they will all be killed so they
all fled to areas the regime controls," said Abu Yassin." "But even among local
Sunni opposition there are frightened whispers that with a rebel victory in
these mountains and then in Latakia city below them, it would be difficult to
prevent a violent spate of revenge killings." ""I am sure there will be
massacres of Alawites and bad revenge killings when we reach Latakia.
The Syrian regime made us enemies over the past two years. "I and the other
Sheikhs are trying to stop this. But we are not sure that we will succeed".""