50 Rebels killed in fighting in Syria

At least 50 rebels died on Tuesday and Wednesday in clashes with Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s forces, who are advancing toward the central prison in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The insurgents were killed in bombardments and in fighting with the army, which is supported by members of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, in the industrial zone of Sheikh Nayar and near the Barich roundabout in the northern part of the city as well as near the prison, the London-based group, which has a large network of activists on the ground across Syria, said.

Officials said Wednesday that they had retaken control of the town of Hilan in their advance on the prison, which although it is in the hands of the regime has been surrounded for more than a year by fighters with the Al Nusra Front, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in Syria, and other like-minded brigades.

The soldiers exacted “heavy losses among the armed terrorist groups,” a military spokesman told the state-run Sana news agency.

Over the past few hours, soldiers have taken control of large areas in northern Aleppo near the prison.

In an attempt to halt the progress of the forces loyal to Assad, the insurgents on Tuesday night completely destroyed the Al Kindi Hospital, which was the target of an attack last December and which is located near the prison. EFE