Rebels wage battle near Iraq border

Syrian rebels waged fierce battles with regime troops in a town along the Iraqi border today, capturing a string of security posts and the local police headquarters despite heavy government shelling and bombing runs by warplanes, activists said.

The rebel advances in the town of al-Bukamal in the eastern oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour coincided with the departure from the Syrian capital of the last of the United Nations military observers after their mission headed by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, meant to help end the bloodshed in Syria, failed.