Started with protests in Daraa in 2011, the Syrian conflict rapidly turned into a war with a number of foreign powers supporting various militant groups (including al-Qaeda-linked) against the government of Bashar al-Assad. Since then, the country has been a point of instability in the Middle East.
Russia began a military intervention in Syria in 2015 after an official request by the Syrian government for military help against militant groups.This allowed the Syrian government to survive and to regain initiative in a battle against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), ISIS and other militant groups.
I can’t say it will happen soon in Latakia because, the operation already started there. The SAA and Co is preparing the area, forcing the head choppers to adjust, move, congregate and burn resources that they cannot afford to burn. There was a Russian strike yesterday in Idlib, probably on leadership just by the casualty numbers. It won’t be that long before Latakia is freed. My take on this part of the tango.