Syrian insurgents capture four central towns as government forces reclaim some territory

Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say insurgents have captured four new towns, bringing them closer to the central city of Hama. Meanwhile, government forces retook some territory they lost last week. The latest push is part of a wide offensive by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad that over the past days have captured large parts of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, as well as towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province. The long war between Assad and his foreign backers and the array of armed opposition forces seeking his overthrow has killed an estimated half-million people over the past 13 years.