Rebels recaptured important positions in Handarat north of Aleppo after violent clashes with regime forces killing at least 50 pro-regime militants. The Handarat serves as a link between the city of Aleppo and its countryside, so regime forces have been desperately trying to capture it to isolate the opposition-held areas inside Aleppo. To this end, the Assad regime has thrown thousands of sectarian foreign mercenaries in this battle, besides applying a scorched earth policy using all types of weapons. (Source: Syrian Coalition)