Moscow, Oct 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Dozens of fighters of the rebel Free Syrian Army have been killed in an operation by Syrian government forces in Homs province near the border with Lebanon, Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported.
A base of one of the armed groups near the village of al-Qusayr was destroyed. At least 40 rebels including the leader of the group were killed.
Several militants, four of them Turkish citizens, were killed Saturday in Aleppo, Syrian news agency SANA reported.
Government forces repelled an attack by militants who "supposedly came from Turkey" in the north of Aleppo, it said.
The Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives according to various groups. The UN puts the toll at over 18,000, while Syrian authorities say 8,000 have died.