Fifteen pro-regime military officials, including four Russian generals, have been killed by opposition forces in rural Latakia near the border with Turkey, Syrian opposition sources said Wednesday.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the military officials killed included four Russian generals and four Syrian generals who had met late Tuesday in Turkmen Mountain in rural Latakia to discuss recent military developments.
The sources pointed out that among the regime officers killed in the attack are a major-general and a brigadier-general, adding that the meeting was held in an unidentified place located between the towns of Salma and Dweirka.
One of the slain Russian generals, identified only as “Yuri”, was reportedly coordinating regime attacks in Turkmen Mountain, the sources added.
In a statement issued later on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed death of one Russian officer in Syria but did not mention his name or rank.
The statement said the officer was in Syria for “military consultancy on use of weapons” and was killed on Feb. 1 during an attack on a military post that belongs to the Syrian regime.
Observers noted that with the fall of the majority of Latakia province to regime forces and its allies, rebel fighters in rural Latakia moved from direct confrontation with regime forces to targeting high-profile military personnel. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Anadolu Agency)
