The terrorist groups which had launched heavy offensives against the villages near al-Akrad and al-Turkaman Mountains were surprised as they faced the army forces' preparedness to repel the attacks, a source said on Thursday.
According to the source, several militants were killed in the counterattack, among them their senior leaders, including the commander of a brigade affiliated to Ansar al-Sham, Ahmad al-Hawish of Jeish al-Fatah, Abu Omar al-Mohajer, Talal al-Mardini, nicknamed Ataturk, and Tunisian Abu Zubair of al-Nusra Front.
In addition to the death toll, a large number of terrorists were also injured, including the commander of Liwa al-Adiat.
In relevant developments in Lattakia earlier this week, a notorious field commander of al-Nusra Front was killed in clashes with the Syrian military forces in the mountainous regions in Northern Latakia near the border with Turkey.
Abu Hajar al-Banshi was killed in heavy fighting with the Syrian soldiers near the village of Kabaneh.
Also, the top field commander of the terrorist group of the Caucasus' Soldiers was killed by the Syrian army soldiers in the militants' failed attack on the government forces' strongholds in Northern Latakia.
Adam Shishani, a notorious field commander of non-Syrian terrorists with Chechen nationality, was killed in the group's unsuccessful offensive on the army's positions in Kurds Mountain, FNA reported.
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