Syrian Rebels Withdraw From Key Aleppo District Facing Offensive

Rebel Leaders Vow Return After Fleeing From Shelling

The Syrian military’s offensive seems to be making its first serious inroads in Aleppo today, with rebels withdrawing by the hundreds from the front lines in the face of constant shelling.

Yesterday’s denials that they were planning to withdraw from Salah al-Din District have given way to an admission that the district is lost, though the rebel leaders are saying it is temporary and are promising to return at the first opportunity.

Fighting in Aleppo has been going on for two weeks now, and there is no end in sight as both sides continue to predict a victory but neither side seems able to break the stalemate in any decisive manner.

Experts are predicting the fighting to eventually devolve into street-to-street fighting, and the regime’s current strategy seems to be to wear the rebels out with shelling and hope that they eventually withdraw on their own.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.