Seventy killed in battles north of Syria’s Aleppo

At least 70 were killed in 24 hours in a government assault and a militant-led counterattack in northern Syria, a monitor said Thursday.

At least 70 were killed in 24 hours in a government assault and a militant-led counterattack in northern Syria, a monitor said Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 Syrian soldiers were martyred and 39 terrorists had been killed in battles around Al-Maleh, north of Aleppo, since Wednesday afternoon.

Militants fighting for the Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, were also killed, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman, who did not provide a precise number.

Syrian forces have been trying for months to surround Aleppo by cutting supply lines between terrorists-held districts of the city and nearby Turkey, which supports militants.