Syrian rebels clash with gov't troops by Jordan border

BEIRUT – Syrian activists say rebels and government troops have fought a fierce battle near the border with Jordan that last several hours.

The activists say the fighting in and around the Syrian border town of Nasib continued until dawn Saturday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were casualties on both sides without giving figures.

Mohammed Abu Houran, an activist in the area, says the rebels first attacked an air defense base near Nassib and as they were withdrawing they clashed with Syrian border guards.

Nasib is in the southern province of Daraa, where the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March last year.

The uprising later turned into a civil war that has claimed the lives of nearly 30,000 people, activists say.