During the mop-up operation mainly done in the strategic district of Taleh al-Kabooleh, the Syrian army destroyed all key hideouts of militants in the area, Al-Alam reports.

The Syrian army also confiscated a large number of audiotapes containing conversations between foreign militants in the immediate aftermath of the attack on the district.

The content of seized audiotapes will be released as soon as the army troops reach to a safe place, army officials said.

According to Al-Alam reporter, all northern districts in Latakia were cleared of militant groups and the army is continuing it mop-up operation in the countryside of Salmi and nearby northern districts.

The recorded phone conversation between the militant groups showed that the accents applied by militants were not Syrian ones, the bureau chief of Iran's Press TV and Al-Alam television networks, Hosein Mortada said.

He said the recorded accents belonged to militants from Morocco, Tunisia Libya and Egypt.

“The names of some militants were also identified amid such calls. This is while some contacts were also made with Turkish parties,” he added.

Over 3,000 families living in villages around Syria’s western coastal city of Latakia have been displaced, the United Nation report says.

The report added that the Syrian government has set up three shelters for the displaced people, “But reports indicate that 80 percent of the displaced people are staying with relatives and host communities inside Latakia city.”

Last week, foreign-sponsored militants fighting against the Syrian government attacked three villages in the countryside of Latakia.

Over the past few days, Syrian forces have killed scores of Takfiri militants -- mostly foreign mercenaries -- in Latakia.

On Sunday, Syrian Army troops killed two leaders of the foreign-backed militants, Abu Zaid al-Almani and Abu Malik al-Shahri, in the coastal province.

NJF/NJF