Syrian army recaptures key military base in Aleppo

The Syrian troops have recaptured a contested key military base in the country's northern province of Aleppo, state TV reported Sunday. The Syrian troops on Sunday regained full control of the Brigade 80 base in the countryside of Aleppo province along with a number of other areas after days of intense fighting. The base, which is responsible for securing the adjacent international airport of Aleppo, has been witnessing intense clashes since early Friday between the Syrian troops, backed by pro-government militiamen, and several rebel groups, including the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, according to activists' reports. On Saturday, the rebels reportedly launched a counter-attack and regained parts of the base. Yet, the ongoing clashes have resulted in the Syrian troops' full recapture of the base. While the state media did not give a death toll, the pro- government al-Khabar TV said that the clashes at the base killed some 90 armed rebels.