Rebels killed 56 soldiers as regime declined swap deal: activists

An activist group tracking the Syrian war said on Saturday that Islamist insurgents shot dead 56 members of Syrian government forces in a mass execution at an air base captured from the army earlier this month in northwestern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the mass killing at Abu al-Duhur air base happened a few days ago, citing sources on the ground. The air base in Idlib province was captured by an alliance of groups including the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front on Sept. 9.

"We confirmed it yesterday in the evening, via people who witnessed it, and via some pictures that arrived - the execution happened," Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, told Reuters.  

Activist Abu Jawad al-Fa'ouri told Zaman al-Wasl that regime forces had refused a swap deal.  Rebels demanded (Assad) army to release of 200 detainees, mostly women, to free the 56 officers and soldiers, the activist said quoting rebels as saying. But that request had been declined by regime even when rebels bargained for release of only 56 detainees.