The head of the Syrian National Defense Forces and a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad was killed on Sunday during clashes with armed militant groups in the country's northern coastal province of Latakia, local media reported.

Hilal al-Assad was killed with seven of his soldiers near the border town of Kasab in northern Latakia, reports said.

"The martyrdom of Hilal al-Assad is an honor for us and he is like all of the Syrian martyrs," Hilal al-Assad's relatives said, adding that "the battle of Syrians is against terrorism and we have many heroes to defend Syria."

The National Defense Forces is a paramilitary forces formed recently by pro-government Syrians to back the Syrian army in its battles against the rebels nationwide.

Battles between the Syrian army and jihadist-dominated militant groups have raged for control of Kasab since Friday, when the Nusra Front fighters and other jihadist groups launched a wide- scale offensive in the border town.