Gunmen of the "Islamic State" militia have seized control of a cluster of villages and towns north of the city of Aleppo following fierce clashes with other armed opposition factions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement on Wednesday the militants took control of Al-Masoudia, Al-Aziziah, Duwaibeq, Al-Ghor, Turkman Bareh and Akhtrin in rural regions northeast of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. The IS fighters expanded their control in the northern regions after ferocious fighting with Al-Nusra Front and other Islamists.
Takeover of Akhtrin is considered a significant "victory" for the Islamic militia because it is situated on the main road leading to Marea, a main stronghold for Al-Nusra in the north.
Many gunmen from these groups were either killed or wounded, however there was no report available specifying the number of the dead and injured.
The IS, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has recently expanded its presence and influence in northern Syria and Iraqi regions neighboring the border. The militants, headed by a shadowy, notorious militant named Abu Baker Al-Baghdadi declared their own state and called it the "Islamic State." The Iraqi Government has vowed to crush the IS militants and US President Barack Obama has pledged to foil the extremists' bids to enforce their radical state in the region.