HOSN (Syria): The Syrian army ousted rebels from a massive Crusader fortress after several hours of fierce fighting, killing at least 93 of them as they fled to neighbouring Lebanon, an army commander told reporters on a government-led tour of the area on Friday.

Reporters were shown signs of a precipitous flight from Crac des Chevaliers by the opposition fighters, including food on a burning makeshift stove left behind untouched, as well as collapsed walls and staircases and other damage from the multiple rounds of fighting in the Unesco World Heritage site since rebels first seized it in 2012.

The Thursday fall of the imposing hilltop citadel is as much symbolic as strategic. It is the latest in a string of government victories near the frontier with Lebanon, used by rebels as a conduit for recruits and supplies.

The nearby village of Hosn was devastated in the fighting, with several houses levelled. Reporters moving through the village with the army escort saw several cars burning, with thick, black smoke billowing into the air. Most of the villagers have fled previous fighting, although about 50 people, mostly women and children, were seen leaving the village.

It was not clear if all the damage to the Crac and Hosn village was from Thursday’s battle that started at dawn, according to the commander. He said his troops overran the castle in the early afternoon.

He said they refused to grant about 300 rebels held up in the castle safe passage from the fortress and made the final push into it after seeing the rebels fleeing, the commander said.

At least 93 rebels were killed at that point, the commander said. He did not say how many were killed in the several hours of fighting it took to take the castle, but acknowledged that several of his men died in Thursday’s battle for the Crac.