Monitor: Islamic State kills 37 rival insurgents in Syria’s Aleppo province

Meanwhile, insurgents have regained control of several villages in north-west Syria from government forces and have advanced beyond them, edging closer to a coastal stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 1,000 people gathered in Latakia on Saturday night holding up pictures of Colonel Hassan al-Shaikh, who died after a traffic incident there last week.

The protesters also lite candles and hoisted Syrian flags.

“This is the [proper] way to offer condolences for Colonel Hassan al-Sheikh”.

A 100 meters ahead, and before reaching the Azhari roundabout, the vehicle passed us by and hit the breaks in front of us, prompting the colonel to disembark from his auto and head toward the Toyota driver.

“The brother of Al-Sheikh, who was in the auto at the time of the incident, spoke to Syrian radio station Sham FM, “[Suleiman] overtook us and then blocked the road”. The second day I came to realize that it was Slaiman al-Assad who shot him.

He also noted that even if Iran and Russian Federation may see Assad’s shortcomings, it “doesn’t necessarily mean that Assad recognizes his weaknesses”.

Rahman added Suleiman al-Assad had not been arrested at the time of reporting.

“My brother got out of the auto and identified himself as an officer; the guy cursed my brother and the Syrian army”.

“More than 35 rebels were killed and dozens were injured when Daesh (IS) attacked headquarters of the rebel forces in Umm Housh village”, a rebel source told ARA News in Aleppo.

Slaiman is a young man known of his recklessness and bad reputation among the young men in the Latakia University, according to the Observatory. The Alawites who make up roughly 10 percent of the population and are a majority in Latakia, have dominated Syria’s government and army for decades, but opposition activists say that dissent has been growing amongst the community for a while due to the high death toll of Alawite fighters and civilians.

Protesters said they will keep their sit-in active till bringing Slaiman to justice, according to the Observatory.