Syrian troops capture village from insurgents in Idlib

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces captured Sunday a northwestern village from insurgents after clashes that left more than a dozen killed on both sides, state media and an opposition war monitor said.

State news agency SANA said Syrian troops captured Msheirfeh early Sunday after clashes with insurgents that left some of them killed or wounded.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the village was taken by government forces in fighting that left six troops and nine insurgents dead.

Syrian troops launched a four-month offensive earlier this year against the country’s last opposition stronghold in Idlib Province, which is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants.

The government offensive forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. A fragile cease-fire halted the advance at the end of August, but in recent weeks it has been repeatedly violated.

In eastern Syria, a mine left behind since the days of the Islamic State group in the village of Taybeh killed a child and wounded 17 others in a school field, according to SANA.

The Observatory said the blast in the village in Deir el-Zour Province killed five children and wounded others.

Mines left behind by the extremist group have killed or maimed scores of people over the past months. IS lost the last area it controlled in Syria in March marking the end of its self-declared caliphate.

source: yahoo.com