Rebels capture vital town, to cut army's supply lines to Aleppo

 Khanaser, the vital town in northern Aleppo countryside and the biggest gathering for pro-Assad militias had been liberated, activists reported.

 The head of the National Defense forces ( NDF) in Aleppo city was killed on Sunday morning by clashes between the NDF and regular forces with rebel fighters in the Khanaser town that lied on a very vital road that connects defence factories “Ma'amel al-Difa” with Hama and Aleppo countryside. He was killed along with more than 50 members of the NDF and regular soldier. A written statement by “Ahrar Alsham movemennt” confirms liberating more than 70% of Khanaser town that comes as a part of “Ras Alsofof battle” that around 10 fighting groups took part in.

Rebels had in recent days captured several villages in Aleppo province, much of which is already in the hands of anti-regime fighters, before reaching Khanasser, situated on the highway to Hama in central Syria, according to AFP.

 Pro-government daily Al-Watan confirmed in a report on Monday that rebels had cut the route, saying that it was the "only avenue of transport" between the two regions since Aleppo international airport was closed in January because of the intense fighting in the town.

 The newspaper said the insurgents cut the road "after having brought 2,000 armed men, many of whom are not Syrian".

 "Armed men placed mines along the highway, in regions they had infiltrated and fired on lorries and buses, killing dozens of travellers," Al-Watan reported.

 President Bashar al-Assad's regime equates the rebellion with "terrorism" lead by Sunni Muslim jihadists backed and financed by foreign powers.

The real death toll in the Syrian war could be more than 200,000 people, a pro-opposition watchdog group said Saturday, as it provided a latest count that matched that of the UN. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of more than 106,000 people, but warned that the real tolls could be twice as high.