Syrian troops kill 40 al-Qaida fighters in central region

   DAMASCUS, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian troops killed 40 fighters of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front in the countryside of the central province of Hama, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported on Wednesday.

   The troops ambushed the Nusra fighters near the city of Salamiyeh in Hama countryside a day earlier, the report said, spelling no further details.
   The 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 on 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 for further pacification in Syria. The Syrian government said Mistura's plan was "worth studying."