Syria rebels seize iconic Aleppo mosque

Rebels seized control of the Umayyad Mosque in Syria's second city of Aleppo on Thursday after days of fierce clashes that damaged the historic building, a watchdog reported.

Regime troops were forced to withdraw at dawn, taking up positions in buildings around the landmark structure, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The mosque's museum caught fire during the battle, causing its ceiling to collapse, adding to damage done in October when antique furnishings and one of its intricately sculpted colonnades were charred in clashes.

The site has been a place of Muslim worship since the 8th century, but the original building was razed by the Mongols in the 13th century, from when the current structure dates.

The Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition activists on the ground, also reported the deaths and identified the men by name.

Human Rights Watch last week demanded unfettered access to Syrian prisons after a prominent peace activist died in custody and another was feared dead.