Syria rebels capture village near Turkey border - reports

Rebels seized a Syrian village near the Turkish border after hours of fierce fighting today in which 25 troops and three insurgents were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Hurriyet reports.

Rebels took control of Khirbat al-Joz, near the village of Jisr al-Shughur, which lies in northwest Syria about two kilometres (just over a mile) from the border, according to Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"After seizing the village, the rebels raised the revolutionary flag over a former army checkpoint in the area," Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The battle left at least 25 soldiers dead, while the rebels lost three men, including a commander who had defected from the army, the Britain-based watchdog said, adding that eight rebels and dozens of soldiers were wounded.