Syria's opposition fighters seized a Mediterranean coastal village Tuesday as they pushed to consolidate their presence in a key regime bastion near the Turkish border, a monitoring group said. The capture of Samra in Latakia province comes a day after rebels seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad seized the area around Kasab, the last government-held crossing post with Turkey. In retaliation the army pounded rebel positions in the **rthwestern coastal province, heartland of Assad's Alawite sect and scene of fierce fighting since Friday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. rebels including the jihadist Al-Nusra Front "took control of Samra village in Latakia province early Tuesday," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.