50 dead as Syria rebels take border town

Damascus: Nearly 50 soldiers and rebels were killed today in clashes near Syria's northern border, as Turkey hit back against what it said was new mortar fire from inside Syria.

Damascus, for its part, said four Turks were among a convoy of 'terrorists' killed in the heart of Aleppo, just hours after UN condemnation of deadly jihadist bombings in the country's commercial capital.

Forty government soldiers and nine rebels were killed when rebels took a town in the northwestern province of Idlib near
the border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

'The clashes at Khirbat al Joz ended when fighters of the rebel brigades took control of the area,' said the Britain
based watchdog.

'The fighting lasted more than 12 hours and resulted in at least 40 dead among the regular forces, including five
officers, and nine (rebel) fighters,' it added after earlier reporting 25 soldiers and three rebels dead.

Turkish officials said they were sure a mortar round that struck this morning was fired by pro government forces
in Syria, and not rebels who have been fighting for nearly 19 months to oust President Bashar al Assad.

It prompted fresh retaliatory fire after reprisals on Wednesday and Thursday for the previous shelling, the Hatay
provincial governor's office said.

'A mortar round struck today at 7:00 am about 50 metres (yards) inside Turkish territory in an open space about 700
metres from the village of Guvecci and about 300 metres from a police station.'

No casualties were reported.

The Turkish army responded with four mortar rounds, the governor's office said, adding that the Syrian fire had come
from loyalists who were firing at rebels near the border.
(AFP)