12 Syrian rebels die in checkpoint ambush

Syrian government troops trying to relieve a besieged military base in the country’s north-west ambushed a rebel checkpoint today, killing at least 12 opposition fighters, activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the government forces surprised the rebel fighters on the outskirts of the village of Baboulein in Idlib province. The Observatory, which relies on a network of local activists on the ground, said many opposition fighters were also wounded in the attack.