Syrian rebels, al-Qaeda fighters battle in Aleppo

                
Activists say Syrian rebels and fighters from an al-Qaeda-linked group have turned their guns on each other and are fighting for control of a key checkpoint in the northern city of Aleppo.
 
 The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Saturday's clashes are focused on the strategic checkpoint in Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr district.
 
The checkpoint is the only gateway between rebel-held eastern districts and the city's western areas, controlled by President Bashar Assad's troops.
 
Earlier this week, al-Qaeda-linked militants seized the checkpoint and closed it for several days, cutting the flow of food supplies to the city and triggering the confrontation.
 
Residents angry over the blockade have staged protests against the anti-Assad forces as food prices soar in Aleppo at the start of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan.

This comes as President Barack Obama told Saudi Arabia's king that he is committed to providing US support to Syrian rebels who have been waiting for shipments of light arms that have been stalled in Washington.    

In a phone call, Obama and King Abdullah also discussed events in Egypt a week after the Egyptian military ousted elected President Mohamed Morsi.    

No US arms have reached the Syrian rebels, who are struggling to hold back an offensive by the Syrian government. The American weapons have been caught in a Washington impasse as some members of the US Congress fear the arms will end up in the hands of Islamist militants.     

A White House statement said the two leaders discussed the civil war in Syria and expressed strong concerns about the impact of the conflict on the region.    

"The president emphasized the United States' continued commitment to provide support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition and the Supreme Military Council to strengthen the opposition," the statement said.    

On Egypt, Obama expressed concern about deadly violence that broke out after the military took over. He stressed his desire for an inclusive political process that will enable an early return to a democratically elected civilian government in Egypt, the White House said.


REUTERS/AP