Syrian insurgents who broke the siege of rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Saturday in a significant territorial gain came under intense air attack from pro-government forces on Sunday trying to repel the advance which also cut government-held Aleppo’s main supply route.
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The rebels earlier said they had broken a weeks-long government siege of Aleppo – a claim denied by Damascus.
As the insurgents took over parts of the government’s Ramousah military complex, which contains a number of military colleges, they broadcast images of the weaponry and ammunition they were taking possession of.
Syrian State news agency SANA said the government had declared that operations were still ongoing in the area.
“Both sides are amassing their fighters in preparation for the great battle of Aleppo”, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based Observatory.
The victory has opened a fragile corridor between previously encircled opposition-held territory in the east of the city and the lands controlled by their allies to the west, raising hopes that relief for besieged rebel-held neighborhoods will be on the way.
The Army of Conquest, a coalition of Syrian rebel groups, has announced its intention to retake all of Aleppo following an attempt by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces to seize the rebel-controlled half of the city. Rebel factions posted videos purportedly showing their fighters embracing as they met. Videos were also posted appearing to show dozens of tires on fire to hinder the regime’s targeting from the air.
At least one medical charity has reported the month of July as the worst to date for attacks on medical care centres in Syria, with 43 attacks on healthcare facilities recorded in their count. Rebranded as Fatah Al Sham, the group stressed that it hoped its new independence would help foster unity with other rebel groups and allow the opposition to better confront the Syrian government.
The rebel advance now puts the estimated 1.2 million living in government-held districts of the city under opposition encirclement, he added.
Families in the western districts on Saturday rushed to buy any food and drink left in preparation for shortages, a resident told AFP. The hospital is in Meles, about 15 km from Idlib city in opposition-held Idlib province.
Overstretched and undermanned Syrian government forces were on the defensive south of Aleppo yesterday after rebel fighters broke through the siege of opposition-held quarters of the city.
He said clashes continued because parts of the Ramouseh district remain in government hands.
Syrians living in London also took to the streets to celebrate news of the end of the siege, honking their auto horns and carrying the version of the Syrian flag used by rebels and government opponents.
An AFP journalist said hungry residents quickly bought up the supplies.
The battle for Aleppo, Syria’s second biggest city, has raged since mid-2012 and is among the fiercest in the multi-front war that has killed almost 400,000 people, according to an estimate by the UN’s chief mediator.
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Pope Francis on Sunday denounced the “unacceptable” number of civilian victims in Aleppo, mentioning in particular the number of children killed in the conflict.
