BEIRUT — Activists say rebels in Syria have killed 28 soldiers in attacks on military checkpoints in northern Idlib province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the rebels attacked three military checkpoints near the town of Saraqeb on Thursday.
The observatory, which relies on reports from activists on the ground, says 28 soldiers and five rebels died in gun battles following the attacks.
There was no official confirmation of the deaths from the authorities. The relentless fighting in Syria has killed more than 36,000 people since March 2011 when the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began.
The rebels fighting to topple Assad often complain they are outgunned by the military, which in recent days intensified airstrikes on opposition strongholds.
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