28 Syrian rebels killed in assault on village

Syrian regime troops repulsed a rebel assault on a village loyal to president Bashar al-Assad in central Homs province, killing at least 28 of the attackers, a watchdog said on Sunday. 

‘The number of rebels killed yesterday (Saturday) in an ambush and clashes with regime forces on the outskirts of Kafr Nan rose to 28,’ the Syrian observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told said the rebels, who control Rastan and much of Houla, the towns on either side of the village of Kafr Nan, launched an assault on Saturday. 

Regime troops pushed back the attack on the village, mostly inhabited by members of the Alawite community, the offshoot branch of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs. Rebels also attacked a nearby regime checkpoint outside the town of Talbisseh, in the north of Homs province. ‘At least six regime forces were killed but the rebels were not able to seize control of the checkpoint,’ the Observatory said.