Dozens of fighters of Free Syrian Army (FSA) have been killed in a large-scale operation of government forces in Homs province, near the border with Lebanon, Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported on Saturday.

A base of one of the armed groups near a village of al-Qusayr was destroyed. 40 rebels including the leader of the group were killed.

Government forces and armed opposition waged battles in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The battle for the bridge in Sahour neighborhood lasts for the second day. This bridge is of great strategic importance to both sides as control over it allows rebels to communicate with the province, where they get reinforcements, weapons and ammunition and for the government forces it provides access to the eastern districts of Aleppo that are controlled by the rebels.

Several militants, four of them Turkish citizens, were killed on Saturday in the other district of Aleppo, Bustan al-Qasr, Syrian news agency SANA reported. Government forces repelled the attack of armed militants who “supposedly came from Turkey” in the north of Aleppo, said in the statement.

The Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives according to various Syrian opposition groups. The UN puts the death toll at over 18,000 people. The Syrian authorities say 8,000 were killed.