15 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels killed fighting IS

Fighting in northern Syria between Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and IS militants killed at least 15 rebels as the opposition tried to push toward a town of symbolic importance for the extremists, an activist group and Turkish officials said on Monday.

In central Syria, meanwhile, two suicide bombers struck in Hama near an office of President Bashar Assad's Baath party, killing two people and wounding at least 12, state news agency SANA said. The agency report said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed belt in Hama's al-Assi Square Monday, and another suicide bomber struck 15 minutes later.