Syrian troops take key Aleppo link

Syrian troops have wrested control of a key road between Aleppo and Hama, as rebels launched an assault on two military bases in the northwest.

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Syrian soldiers take aim at rebel fighters positioned in the mountains of the Christian town of Maalula on September 13, 2013.

Syrian troops have reopened a main road between Aleppo and the central province of Hama, state media report, following several days of fighting with rebel forces.

Government forces and rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad have been fighting to control Syria's largest city, Aleppo and strategic roads vital for both sides to bring in supplies.

In August, rebels said they blocked supply lines for Assad's soldiers leading to the northern city.

In another development, rebels on Monday launched a major assault on two key military bases in northwestern Syria, killing 10 soldiers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group said.

The new offensive was aimed at seizing Wadi Deif and Hamidiyeh, which are the last strongholds of regime forces in Idlib, the Britain-based group said.

In neighbouring Lebanon, a Syrian helicopter raided late on Monday a pickup truck carrying wounded Syrian opposition rebels from Syria into Lebanon.

The gunship fired at least eight rockets on the valley of Humeid, an area near the Sunni-Muslim village of Arsaal in eastern Lebanon.

Activists in the area said some rockets directly struck the pickup truck. which was carrying rebels who were wounded fighting Syrian regime forces in the central province Homs, which borders Lebanon.

They said at least two of the wounded died in the raid.

The United Nations is calling for the convening of an international conference on Syria in mid-November.

"The UN secretary general believes that it can take place in mid-November and we are determined to make it happen," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky, brushing off speculation that a second Geneva conference may be further delayed because of difficulties in bringing Syrian parties to the negotiating table.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition vowed on Monday not to hold any dialogue with the regime of al-Assad.

"Any dialogue with the regime of Bashar al-Assad will be considered as a dialogue with the enemy," the head of the Syrian National Coalition told a news conference in Istanbul.

Al Jarba's comments came after Assad said his regime will not accept dialogue with rebels.


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Source: AAP



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