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Al-Qaida, other insurgents capture Syrian village Syria cease-fire unravelling as fighting erupts near Aleppo
(about 3 hours later)
BEIRUT — Activists say al-Qaida’s Syrian branch and other insurgents have captured a strategic overlook from government forces south of Aleppo after weeks of government air raids, in fighting that could unravel a month-old cease-fire. BEIRUT — Syria’s partial cease-fire is unravelling, as fierce fighting between government forces and opposition fighters, including members of the al-Qaida affiliated Nusra Front, erupted Saturday outside the country’s second largest city of Aleppo.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front, along with other jihadis as well as more moderate factions, captured the village of Tel el-Ais early Saturday. At least 25 pro-government fighters died in clashes south of Aleppo, where the Nusra Front and rebel militias captured a hill overlooking a major highway, a Britain-based monitoring group told The Associated Press.
The village overlooks a vital highway connecting Aleppo with the capital, Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting continued throughout the day Saturday close to the village of Tel al-Ais, which overlooks the main road connecting Aleppo with the capital, Damascus.
The Nusra Front boasted of its offensive on social media, posting videos showing mortars and tanks firing on what is said to be government positions. Syria’s state news agency acknowledged fierce clashes in the area. The coordinated rebel and Nusra Front offensive follows weeks of air raids on opposition-held areas despite the partial cease-fire. The truce agreement, the first of its kind in Syria’s five year war, excludes the Nusra Front and the Islamic State group.
Both the Nusra Front and the Islamic State group are excluded from the cease-fire that began in late February. On Thursday, a bombing carried out by government planes outside Damascus killed 33 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Government airstrikes also targeted the public square in the opposition-held city of Maarat Nouman in the northern Idlib province Friday, where residents had protested against the Nusra Front presence in the town.
Several rebel factions boasted about battling government forces on social media, including groups nominally subscribing to the cease-fire.
The Islam Army, whose political coordinator heads the opposition delegation engaged in peace negotiations with the government in halting talks in Geneva, announced it had killed 20 soldiers in fighting outside Damascus Friday.
The Nusra Front boasted of the offensive on the Aleppo countryside on social media, posting videos showing mortars and tanks firing on what is said to be government positions. Syria’s state news agency acknowledged fierce clashes in the area Friday.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.