Al-Samra village, located near Kasab, fell into the hands of al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front in March, but the Syrian army announced on Sunday that it has the village under full control, according to the Arabic language Syria Now news website.

Al-Samra’s recapture cuts militants’ access to the sea.

The victory for the Syrian army comes after the Latakia border regions became scene of fierce battles between country’s national forces and Turkey-backed militant groups.

According to local media, battles are still underway to clear the whole region and secure the border.

Kasab and its surrounding villages are Armenian Christian-dominated areas, and their value is primarily because of their location near the Turkish border.

Syrian authorities have been criticizing Turkey for ‘covering for’ militant groups and helping them occupy the Syrian border.

Syria sank into war in March 2011 when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.