Syrian rebels battle al-Qaeda fighters

SYRIAN rebels have seized a compound held by al-Qaeda-linked militants as their one-time allies used car bombs against them, in some of the most serious infighting between fighters challenging the rule of President Bashar Assad.

The rebel-on-rebel fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is the strongest pushback yet from Syrian rebels who have seen their uprising to topple Assad hijacked by al-Qaeda forces seeking to impose Islamic rule in opposition-held portions of the country.

The clashes began on Friday after residents accused the al-Qaeda-linked fighters of killing a doctor in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo. Fighting quickly spread to rebel-held areas of the northeast province of Idlib and the central province of Hama.

The clashes widened on Sunday, with at least one outside of Aleppo pitting the ISIL against the Nusra Front, which is also an al-Qaeda-aligned group, said Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Another clash struck the town of Tabqa in the eastern province of Raqqa, where ISIL forces are most dominant, Abdurrahman said.

The Observatory obtains its information from a network of activists on the ground.

Rebels seized the ISIL compound in the town of Manbij in the northern province of Aleppo, activists said.

The Observatory said ISIL fighters also used car bombs for the first time to defend its territory. Other activists reported ISIL was pushed out of the town of Atmeh.

There always has been resentment against ISIL in Syria, whose fighters, a mix of foreigners and locals, fanned into the country last year, taking advantage of the upheaval to assert power in areas seized by rebels.

It is seen as particularly brutal in Syria's civil war for its abductions and killings of anti-Assad activists, journalists and civilians seen as critical to their rule.

But other residents welcome the group for chasing out thugs who terrorised residents in opposition-held areas, and for distributing food and aid to the poor.

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Bombings kill 20 in Baghdad

A NEW wave of bombings has hit Iraq's capital, Baghdad, killing at least 20 people.

The deadliest attack took place in Baghdad's Shi'ite northern Shaab neighbourhood, when two parked car bombs exploded simultaneously near a restaurant and a tea house. Officials say those blasts killed 10 people and wounded 26.

Authorities say a parked car bomb ripped through in capital's Shi'ite eastern district of Sadr City, killing five and wounding 10. Another bombing killed three civilians and wounded six in a commercial area in the central Bab al-Muadham neighbourhood, officials said. Two other bombings killed two civilians and wounded 13, police said.

Medical officials confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

The attacks come as Iraqi security forces are besieging two key cities country's western Anbar province after they were taken over by militants from al-Qaeda's local branch, known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.

Clashes have been taking place since Monday in Anbar's provincial capital, Ramadi, and nearby Fallujah between al-Qaeda militants and pro-government Sunni tribesmen. The Baghdad bombings could be seen as an attempt by militants to distract security forces.

Earlier on Sunday, a senior Iraqi military commander said that it will take a few days to fully dislodge al-Qaeda-linked fighters from two key western cities.

Lieutenant General Rasheed Fleih, who leads the Anbar Military Command, told the state television Sunday that "two to three days" are needed to push the militants out of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi.

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Rescuers search for Goa collapse survivors

THE death toll in a building collapse in India's southern state of Goa has risen to 15, as rescuers raced against the clock to save up to 20 people feared trapped beneath the debris.

A five-storey building under construction caved in on Saturday at the seaside town of Canacona, trapping workers on the site.

Police, who had earlier confirmed 11 deaths, say more bodies have since been recovered.

"The death toll stands at 15, with 14 bodies recovered from the debris and one person dying at the hospital," police inspector Prashel Desai said by telephone from the scene on Sunday.

Twenty five injured workers were being treated at hospitals.

"We cannot confirm how many people are still trapped, but according to witnesses there should be 20 more people inside," he added.

Media reports say the number of those trapped could be higher.

The rescue operations continued into Sunday night, with the chances of finding survivors fading by the minute and piles of concrete still needing to be removed.

Marshy land around the site was also making rescue operations more difficult.

Rescue workers were using cranes and bulldozers, shovels and bare hands to free the trapped workers. About 150 army soldiers had joined police, firemen and disaster management personnel in the effort.

"They are using gas cutters and other machines, but reaching those trapped inside is not easy," Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

"It looks like the foundation was not laid properly so the entire building has toppled," he said.

A criminal case has been filed against the builder, contractor and municipal engineer of the residential complex, who have yet to be arrested.

Building collapses are common in India. More than 60 people died in an apartment building that crumbled in the city of Mumbai in September.

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Cyclist critical after Helensburgh crash

A CYCLIST is in intensive care after being struck by a vehicle south of Sydney.

The 58-year-old man was riding south on the Old Princes Highway at Helensburgh about 6.15am (AEDT) on Sunday when he was hit by a vehicle, police say.

He was found injured next to the road by a group of cyclists a short time later.

The man was treated at the scene for suspected fractures before being taken to St George hospital.

Police have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

They are particularly interested in speaking to the driver of an older model white Ford Laser with Victorian registration and green P plates.

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