At least 73 people were killed as rebels in Syria seized Khan Touman village near Aleppo from government troops overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. An alliance of Islamist militants, Jaish al-Fatah, launched the attack to capture the village, located 15 km north of Aleppo (pictured above). The alliance includes the Nusra Front, an insurgent group with links to the al Qaeda, which rejected diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war and promote peace talks.

While multiple rebel sources said that their side had captured Khan Touman, a Syrian army official denied the claim, Reuters reported. While 43 among the dead were rebels, 30 were government forces. In the last two weeks, some 300 people have been killed in Aleppo, where fighting has escalated despite the landmark ceasefire agreement. The seizure of Khan Touman village would mark another setback in the on-going peace talks.