Syria: HTS kills at least three regime troops in Idlib province

At least three Syrian regime troops were killed by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in the country's northwest on Wednesday.

The HTS-affiliated Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Brigade attacked regime positions in the village of Kawkaba in Idlib province, where the two sides fought with light and medium weapons, according to news sources close to HTS.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said at least three regime troops were killed and four others injured.

There were at least four wounded on the HTS side, it added.

War correspondents close to the Islamist group, which controls most of Idlib province, published video recordings of the fighting.

It comes a day after a similar assault by HTS fighters in the Aleppo province town of Basratun.

According to accounts close to HTS, the attack killed 15 members of the regime forces and wounded others, while three HTS fighters were killed.

SOHR said there had been an attack by HTS on regime positions in the Basratun axis on Tuesday.

It added that three HTS fighters and five from the regime side were killed.

Ten were wounded in total, encompassing both regime and Islamist forces, SOHR said.

HTS has intensified its attacks against regime positions in recent weeks, carrying out around 10 operations in the past two months.

These have resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of Syrian regime officers and soldiers.