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Fighting intensifies in Aleppo
ALEPPO: The Syrian army pounded rebel positions in second city Aleppo yesterday ahead of a threatened ground assault after boasting its capture of the last rebel-held district of the capital.A high-level security source said the army yesterday completed its deployment of reinforcements to Aleppo, ready for a decisive showdown. At least two rebel fighters were killed in early morning clashes in Aleppo, which has already been the scene of heavy fighting since July 20, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Troops shelled rebel-held Salaheddin district in the southwest and clashes erupted in the Sukkari, Hamdaniyeh and Ansari neighbourhoods, the Britain-based watchdog said. The opposition Syrian National Council charged that the army's bombardment of the rebels was hitting key public institutions in the commercial capital, some of historical significance. After failing to subdue (rebel forces) in Aleppo... the Syrian regime's gangs have started to target government institutions and buildings, the exiled opposition group said. Some of them have historical and archaeological value. The SNC accused the army of shelling Aleppo's television building. The criminal regime does not hesitate to shell these institutions, the group said, adding: The rebels were forced to move away from the television building in order to protect the Syrian people's property and heritage. Rebels tried to storm the state television building on Saturday before being driven back by shelling, the Observatory said.
Posted by: Steve White 2012-08-06 |
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