BEIRUT – Syrian rebels have seized control of the Syrian side of a major border crossing with Iraq from the Islamic State group, activists said Saturday.
The Local Coordination Committees said U.S.-backed fighters from the Free Syrian Army’s Southern Front killed one IS fighter and wounded several others in the process of taking the Tanaf border crossing late Friday.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on activists inside Syria, said the FSA fighters crossed into Syria from Jordan to launch the attack.
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The IS-affiliated Aamaq News Agency denied the crossing had been captured. The IS group had controlled the crossing, located in southeastern Syria, since government forces withdrew in May 2015.
IS fighters meanwhile attacked the government’s supply route to the contested northern city of Aleppo, killing 15 soldiers, the Observatory said. Government forces repelled the attack and secured the road, according to the Observatory and SANA, the Syrian state news agency.
SANA said government forces killed dozens of IS fighters in the clashes.
WATCH: The level of violence in Syria has been greatly reduced and cessation of hostilities has largely held since taking effect on Saturday, United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday.