Rebels thwart Assad attack on north Aleppo, kill dozens

(Zaman Al Wasl)-  Rebels in a counter attack Tuesday have thwarted Syrian regime's  surprise attack on northern countryside of Aleppo , taking full control of Tal Mallah district and killing 150 fighters loyal to Bashar al-Assad, rebel commander said in video statement.

Early Tuesday, the Assad army backed by allied militia has captured several villages north of Aleppo from insurgents and blocked a main supply route leading into the northern city amid heavy fighting, Reuters said. 

Assad's surprise attack enabled his forces to make gains in the first hours, but soon huge reinforcements by al-Shamiya Front rebel group have flooded to the north of Aleppo that foiled regime attack on the villages of Herdtnain, Ratyan and Bashkoy in northern countryside of Aleppo.

Activists said Assad's forces have committed a massacre in Ratyan village, many people were slaughtered by knifes, they said.

A footage posted online by rebels showed dozens of slain soldiers who were killed in Tal al-Mallah district.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government forces had blocked a road leading north from the city towards the Turkish border and heavy clashes continued.

Aleppo, Syria's second city, is at the heart of clashes between pro-government forces and a range of insurgents which include al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, Islamist brigades, foreign fighters in other groups and Western-backed rebels