Armed militants in Syria executed around 51 civilians in Khan al-Assal, a strategic town close to the northern city of Aleppo

Armed militants in Syria executed around 51 civilians in Khan al-Assal, a strategic town close to the northern city of Aleppo.

Reports said on Friday that the civilians were killed on Monday after the town fell to the militants. The victims were all shot in the head.

A number of military personnel were also summarily executed in addition to the civilians, according to the reports.

Most of the town is currently under the control of the militants. Khan al-Assal was the location of a chemical attack earlier this year that left 30 people dead.

On July 9, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said that Russian experts collected samples at the site of the attack in the town and the results of the analysis proved that a missile fired by the militants was filled with sarin.

However, the opposition-backed Observatory for Human Rights claimed that at least 150 Syrian regime forces died in fighting with militants for the control of Khan al-Assal.

“More than 50 of those killed were executed by rebels after the fall of Khan al-Assal on Monday, while the rest died fighting for the regime's last bastion in the west of Aleppo province,” it said.