Fighting Rages in Aleppo: Over 180 Civilians Killed Over Weekend

Heavy Fighting as Nusra Forces Attempt to Capture Govt Districts

Heavy fighting was reported across northern Syria’s Aleppo this weekend, as the Nusra Front attempted to double-down on last week’s gains, attacking a pair of government districts in the western half of the city. The main fighting on Sunday centered around a cement factory in the city’s southwest.

The Nusra offensives began with car bombings, attempting to soften up the defensive positions around the key Jamiat al-Zahraa District, which includes an Army base as well as a substantial residential district.There was no confirmation of the casualty figures for fighters on either side.

As usual, however, it’s the civilian bystanders taking the brunt of the casualties. Over the course of the weekend, over 180 civilians have been killed, overwhelmingly within Aleppo, where Nusra shelled government districts, and the military airstrikes pounded Nusra-held districts.

In addition to those killed in Aleppo, another 20 civilians were reported killed in Idlib Province, as the military pounded Nusra-held areas there as part of their campaign to try to prevent Nusra from getting more reinforcements to Aleppo.

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.