Syrian rebels seize strategic hill near Aleppo: NGO

BEIRUT: Syrian rebels seized a strategic hill west of Aleppo after a fierce battle with government troops on Saturday as fighting elsewhere in the north spread across Latakia province, an NGO said.

At least 21 pro-government forces and 21 rebels were killed in the battle for Shwayhneh that overlooks a government-controlled sector of western Aleppo, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The hill´s capture puts the Zahra district, where the air force intelligence services have headquarters, within firing range of the rebels, said the Syrian Revolution General Commission, a coalition of opposition groups.

Rebels have sought for months to capture Zahra, a move that could pose a threat to Syrian regime forces in the city of Aleppo, once the country´s commercial hub.

Fighting also raged Saturday between rebels and loyalist forces in Latakia province, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground for its reports.

Rebels seized a military position known as Observatory 45, the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

He said Islamists from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham were taking part in the fighting against regular troops and pro-regime militiamen.