Al-Qaida affiliates almost capture contested town in northern Syria

The al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and likeminded groups on Monday almost captured a contested town in the northern province of Aleppo following intense battles with the Syrian troops, according to a monitoring group.

The Nusra Front and other affiliated militants almost recaptured the town of Handarat, which they had been in control of almost five months ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The progress of the Nusra came after one of its militants blew himself up in the southern part of Handarat, said the Observatory, spelling no further details.

In recent weeks, the Syrian troops intensed their attacks in the northern countryside of Aleppo in a bid to lay a siege on rebel-held areas inside the city of Aleppo to isolate them from the province's countryside, which is adjacent to the Turkish borders, where the rebels are getting their support.

Handarat is the last area in the northern part of Aleppo, whose loss would deprive the Syrian troops from a tight siege on the rebel-held areas inside Aleppo city.

Separately Monday, a total of nine Islamic State (IS) fighters were killed, five of whom were foreigners, by their comrades when they attempted to abandon the Islamic State group and return to their original countries, said the Observatory.

Two groups of the IS fought each other in the city of Bab in the northeastern rim of Aleppo, said the Observatory, adding that IS managed to recapture the fleeing militants, who would meet the same fate of over 220 militants that IS has executed last year for abandoning its ranks. Endit