47 killed as rebels battle ISIS in Syria

A battle between Islamic State group jihadists and rebels for control of an opposition stronghold in northern Syria has killed at least 47 fighters, a monitor said yesterday.

Twenty Islamist and other rebel fighters were killed in the clashes in Aleppo province throughout Friday, along with 27 ISIS jihadists, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The fighting centred on the town of Marea, a key rebel bastion that ISIS has been trying to capture for months.

The Observatory said fighting was ongoing around the town, which rebel forces still control, as well in villages in the surrounding area.

Marea is one of the most significant rebel-held towns in northern Aleppo and lies on a key supply route running to the Turkish border.

ISIS has targeted the town for months, seeking to expand westwards from territory it already holds in Aleppo province.