Islamist fighters on Monday said they had taken control of a key government base in north-central Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said the base, the largest government position in the region, had fallen to al-Nusra Front fighters backed up by other jihadists.
Most of the nearby Hamadiyah base had fallen to the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group in ongoing fighting, but troops were holding out in some areas, Observatory Directory, Rami Abdel-Rahman, told newsmen.
Abdel-Rahman said that over 30 government troops had been killed in the fighting.
Report says both bases are located just outside Maarat al-Nuaman, which lies about half way along the main highway between Aleppo and the central Syrian city of Hama.
The rebel advance came a day after the Syrian army claimed progress north of Aleppo.
Government forces were attempting to encircle the rebel-held eastern half of the city, which was Syria’s largest before the war.
Analysts say the fall of eastern Aleppo would be a major blow to rebels, who, in spite of advances in Idlib and in southern Syria, are under pressure from both regime forces and the Islamic State militia. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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