Syrian troops battle rebels for control of border post on the Turkish frontier

BEIRUT – Activists and state media say Syrian troops are battling opposition fighters for control of a border post on the Turkish frontier.

Rebels have been on the offensive since Friday in the border area of northwestern Latakia province, where they have captured a crossing point into Turkey.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy fighting Sunday around Kasab, a town with a large Armenian community near the Turkish border.

Syrian state television quoted an unnamed military official as saying that government forces inflicted "heavy losses" among rebels. State TV says the rebels entered Syria from Turkey.

The Observatory also reported heavy fighting in the contested northern city of Aleppo, which is divided between rebel and government forces.