BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels seized control of a seaside tourist site by the Turkish border on Tuesday that allowed them a small foothold by the Mediterranean for the first time since the uprising erupted against President Bashar Assad, activists say.

The reported capture of the rocky, coastal strip known as Samra came after rebels severed one of the Assad government’s last links to the Turkish border by seizing the Kassab crossing and a predominantly Armenian Christian town of the same name on Sunday. The gains provide a boost for opposition fighters who were pushed out of key parts of the Syrian border with Lebanon over the past few weeks.