Syrian rebels took control Tuesday of Maaret al-Numan, a strategic Idlib province town on the highway linking Damascus with second city Aleppo, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. \"Regular forces pulled back from all of their checkpoints around Maaret al-Numan, except for one at the entrance of the town,\" said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. \"This is a strategic location on the route from Damascus to Aleppo. All the regime reinforcements headed to Aleppo must pass through Maaret al-Numan.\" From: The Daily Star.