Syria Rebels Seize Major Military Base Near Turkish Border

Syrian rebel fighters have released video footage showing that they have captured a major military base just west of Aleppo, along the border with neighboring Turkey. It is unclear which rebel factions actually took the base but several were said to be involved.

According to a statement from opposition figures, the base was primarily an artillery station, firing against rebel-held villages on the outskirts of Aleppo. They also claimed 15 tanks and a number of military officers were captured in the offensive but this could not be confirmed.

The base, termed “Base 46” in some reports, has been contested for weeks, as has much of the region, with Aleppo remaining roughly split between rebel and regime held neighborhoods.

The move adds another major possession to rebel holdings in the Syrian northwest, with border crossings almost constantly contested with the hope of Western arms flowing in through Turkey. Though rebel factions have set up shop elsewhere in the country as well, the area on the Turkish frontier is where the largest concentrations have formed, with Turkey openly backing some factions.