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Syrian paramilitary commander killed in Latakia

DAMASCUS, March 23 (KUNA) -- Helal Al-Assad, commander of the national defense, a pro-regime paramilitary force, in Latakia governorate, was killed in in Kassab town near, northwest Syria, near the borders with Turkey, the state-run TV channel reported on Sunday.
The area has been the scene of raging conflict between the regular troops and the paramilitary corps, on one hand, and the opposition forces, on the other, over the last two days.
In a related development the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that the opposition fighters took control of Al-Nabeen border post while the regular troops recaptured the post No. 45 and Al-Samra village.
At Al-Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, south Damascus, a man succumbed to his illness due to the severe shortage of medicines and foods and poor living conditions.
The general commission of the Syrian revolution put the death toll of today's fighting at 40 mainly in Damascus, Aleppo and Idlib. (end) tk.gb KUNA 240008 Mar 14NNNN