BEIRUT: Syrian rebels stormed an army barracks in the northwestern province of Latakia overnight on Wednesday and killed at least 20 troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a group which monitors violence in Syria said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain but has a network of contacts in Syria including rebels, activists and state security members, said rebels had taken some soldiers prisoner, including a colonel, and looted machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

"From late last night until 5 o'clock this morning, rebels attacked a regular army barracks complex consisting of three buildings, two of which collapsed," said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Observatory.

The past few weeks have seen a surge in rebel attacks on tanks and army checkpoints and activists say in some areas the Free Syrian Army rebels have been able to hold territory.

The United Nations says more than 10,000 people have been killed by government forces, while Syria says at least 2,600 members of the military and security forces have been killed by what it calls foreign-backed "Islamist terrorists". AGENCIES