Syrian troops kill 40 rebel fighters

Syrian troops killed 40 fighters of the Al Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the countryside of the central province of Hama, media reported Wednesday.

The troops ambushed the Nusra fighters near the city of Salamiyeh in the Hama countryside a day earlier, Xinhua reported citing the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV, giving no further details.

Syrian government troops have recently dislodged Nusra fighters from key areas in the northern countryside of Hama, as part of the Syrian forces' bid to secure the central region from extremist groups.

Separately, several fighters of the al-Farouq and al-Qussair Battalion have pledged alliance to the Islamic State militants, the report said, adding that those fighters were dislodged from central Syria and stationed in the rugged al-Qalamoun region in the northern countryside of Damascus.

Meanwhile, the pro-government al-Watan daily said Wednesday that 14 rebel factions in the northern Aleppo province had formed the "Aleppo's Revolutionists Council" in an apparent bid to discuss the proposal of the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who put forth a plan for "freezing" the battles in Aleppo as a prelude to further pacification in Syria.

The Syrian government said Mistura's plan was "worth studying".