Heavy fighting was reported throughout the day in central and northern Aleppo, capping a week that has seen some of the deadliest fighting of the entire civil war, as the Syrian military aims to reclaim the eastern half of the city from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
Earlier in the week Syrian military forces captured a central district, and also some territory on the northern outskirts of the city. Exactly what was accomplished today remains a matter of debate, as both sides have issued conflicting claims of victory.
Most of today’s fighting centered on the district of Suleiman al-Halabi, near the district taken earlier this week in central Aleppo. Government forces claimed to have made substantial progress, but the Nusra Front claimed that they had expelled the troops by evening.
Both sides also traded blame for a strike which hit a water station in the district, with Nusra claiming an airstrike, but the Syrian government claiming rebel shelling. The military claimed Nusra shelling also killed some 15 civilians in the al-Midan District.
It might be more honest if this article were to call Al Nusra “Al Qaeda,” which it surely is even under our Government’s “terrorist” list.
WHAT — NO TERRORISTS IN ALEPPO?
Not according to Jason Ditz and the corporate media slant he has given this article, what with the word “terrorist” completely deleted.
Highly unlikely that it was “deleted.” It was probably simply not used. Is there some reason why it should have been?
I’m not sure that it’s the intention of the Syrian or Russians to occupy the central parts of East Aleppo yet. They seem to be pushing down from the north and occupying territory there but around central East Aleppo, I wonder if they’re launching attacks on areas that aren’t well defended by the rebels with the intention of drawing them in to a counter-attack so that the rebels suffer casualties among the fighters that can’t be replaced. It’s highly likely that small groups of rebels might be able to infiltrate East Aleppo to reinforce the fighters there and bring in ammunition, but over a few weeks of this the rebels will run short of manpower and materiel.