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| Hundreds of armed rebels cross from Turkey into Syria, says monitor | Hundreds of armed rebels cross from Turkey into Syria, says monitor |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 500 rebels on Wednesday crossed the Turkish border, a monitor said, and headed for the Syrian town of Azaz in northern Aleppo province where opposition forces have suffered setbacks at the hands of Kurdish fighters. | |
| Related: Humanitarian aid convoys enter besieged areas in Syria | Related: Humanitarian aid convoys enter besieged areas in Syria |
| “At least 500 rebels have crossed the Bab al-Salam border crossing on their way to the town of Azaz, from which they want to help the insurgents in the face of gains made by Kurdish forces in the north of the province,” the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel, told Agence France-Presse. | “At least 500 rebels have crossed the Bab al-Salam border crossing on their way to the town of Azaz, from which they want to help the insurgents in the face of gains made by Kurdish forces in the north of the province,” the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel, told Agence France-Presse. |
| They included rebels as well as Islamist fighters, all of them armed, he said. | They included rebels as well as Islamist fighters, all of them armed, he said. |
| Almost 350 rebels were also reported to have passed through the Atme border crossing on 14 February armed with heavy and light weapons. | Almost 350 rebels were also reported to have passed through the Atme border crossing on 14 February armed with heavy and light weapons. |
| Opposition forces have lost ground to government troops in northern Aleppo province since they began a major offensive in the former rebel bastion backed by Russian airstrikes. | Opposition forces have lost ground to government troops in northern Aleppo province since they began a major offensive in the former rebel bastion backed by Russian airstrikes. |
| Pressing their advantage, Kurdish forces have been taking ground in the fragmented region, most notably the city of Tal Rifaat, as they seek to carve out their own autonomous state. | Pressing their advantage, Kurdish forces have been taking ground in the fragmented region, most notably the city of Tal Rifaat, as they seek to carve out their own autonomous state. |
| Related: Kurds carve out new reality in northern Syria | Related: Kurds carve out new reality in northern Syria |
| The rebels now hold only the town of Azaz, not far from the Turkish border, and to the south Marea, encircled by Kurdish forces to the west and Islamic State fighters to the east. | The rebels now hold only the town of Azaz, not far from the Turkish border, and to the south Marea, encircled by Kurdish forces to the west and Islamic State fighters to the east. |
| Alarmed by the Kurds’ gains close to its border, Turkey, which supports the groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has continued shelling their positions. |