Dozens dead as al-Qaeda in Syria takes rebel military base

Beirut: Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate on Saturday drove US-backed rebels out of a strategic northern military base in fierce fighting that left dozens dead, a monitor said.At least 29 fighters from the Western-armed Hazm movement were killed along with six Al-Nusra Front jihadists, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.It said fierce fighting had broken out on Friday night for Base 46, west of the city of Aleppo. "Al-Nusra captured Base 46," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Observatory.Base 46 is a sprawling military compound that rebel fighters seized in November 2012 from troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[caption id="attachment_2128645" align="alignleft" width="380"]

An Al-Nusra militant in this file photo. Reuters[/caption]In a statement, residents in the nearby rebel-held village of Atareb criticised the attack on the base and appealed to Al-Nusra to instead fight the "infidel regime and its allies".The offensive came a month after Al-Nusra -- Al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria -- expelled Hazm from Regiment 111, another base they had taken from Assad's forces. Hazm is mainly present in northern Syria. Last year, it was the first to receive US-made anti-tank missiles from its Western backers.It is one of a number rebel groups that the United States classes as "moderate". They are loosely branded as the Free Syrian Army.Syria's conflict began in March 2011 as a popular revolt seeking democratic change, but later evolved into civil war after Assad's regime launched a brutal crackdown on dissent. About 220,000 people have since been killed in a devastating conflict that has driven half of Syria's population from their homes.AFP