Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016)

Battle of Aleppo (2012)
Part of the Syrian civil war
Situation in Aleppo in November 2012   Syrian Army control   Opposition control   PYD control   Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date 19 July 2012 – ongoing (12 years, 3 weeks and 1 day) Location Aleppo, Syria Result Ongoing FSA and SLA capture numerous districts in the southern and northeastern parts of the city in late July PYD takes control of two districts in the north part of the city Syrian Army recaptures the Salaheddine district in mid-August and advances into Saif al-Dawla soon after Opposition offensive against the Hanano and Midan districts in early September repelled City-wide opposition offensive in late September repelled UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo largely destroyed in the fighting Opposition offensive in late October repelled and leads to clashes between the PYD and the FSA
Belligerents
Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army Syrian Liberation Army Mujahideen Ahrar al-Sham Jabhat al-Nusra Fajrul Islam Foreign fighters	Syrian government Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Police Shabiha al-Berri tribe Local Christian militia	PYD Popular Protection Units*
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi (commander-in-chief) Abdullatif Abdullatif (deputy commander) Abdelqadir al-Saleh  (WIA) (Tawheed Brigade) Taufik Shiabuddin (Salaheddine district) Ebu Mohammed Suleiman (Sultan Abdulhamid Han Brigade) Abdulrahman al-Salameh (Jahbat al-Nusra) Abu Omar al-Chechen (Muhajiroun Brothers)	Ali Abdullah Ayyoub (Chief of Staff) Zaino Berri  † (al-Berri Shabiha leader)	Nujin Derik
Units involved
18 battalions Tahwed Brigade Sham Falcons Salaheddin Martyrs Brigade Abu-Bakr Brigade Al-Fatah Brigade Dara al-Shahbaa Brigade Nour al-Haq Brigade Nur al-Din Zinky Brigade Suleiman al-Farisi Brigade Turkmens' Sultan Abdulhamid Han Brigade United Salam Brigades	46th Army regiment Republican Guard Unknown number of other units	Unknown
Strength
2,000–7,000 fighters (opposition claims) 6,000–8,000 fighters (government claims)	20,000 troops mobilized (3,000 engaged) 1,500 Shabiha 100 tanks and 400 armored personnel carriers	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Opposition claims: 734 killed Government claims: 2,350+ killed	Opposition claims: 673 killed, 120–180 captured Government claims: 20+ killed, 100 wounded	6-8 killed 120 captured by FSA (later released)
1,624 civilians killed

The Battle for Aleppo is an ongoing military confrontation in Aleppo, Syria between the Free Syrian Army and its allies and the Syrian military. The battle began on 19 July 2012 as a part of the Syrian civil war. Clashes escalated in late July as the Syrian Army and opposition fighters fought in the city which is the largest in Syria and holds great strategic and economic importance. The scale and importance of the battle has led to the battle being referred to as "the mother of all battles".

Background

The uprising against the Syrian government began on 15 March 2011, with nationwide demonstrations. However, the inhabitants of Syria's two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, remained largely uninvolved in the anti-government protests. In fact, the two cities have seen rallies in the tens of thousands in support of Assad and his government.

As the government launched crackdowns and military sieges into restive towns and cities, the protests evolved into an armed rebellion. Opposition forces composed of military defectors and civilian volunteers clashed with security forces across the country. However, Aleppo city remained relatively peaceful.

Fighting in Aleppo governorate began on 10 February 2012. Over the next five months, major clashes left large parts of the rural countryside under rebel control, with the capital of the province, Aleppo city, still being firmly under government control. However, on 19 July, rebel forces stormed the city and a battle for control of Syria's largest city and economic hub had begun.

Combatants

At the beginning of the Battle of Aleppo, rebels reported to have between 6,000 and 7,000 fighters within 18 battalions, the largest one being the al Taweed brigade, a brigade largely dominated by conservative Muslims, but who reject Islamist rule, and is headed by defected colonel Abdul al-Oqaidi. The most prominent rebel group fighting in Aleppo is the Free Syrian Army, an organization largely composed of army defectors. A smaller group is the Syrian Liberation Army, composed largely of local civilians who have taken up arms against the Syrian army. Most of those rebels that are from Syria hail from the Aleppo countryside, such as the towns of Al-Bab, Marea, Azaz, Tel Rifaat and Manjib. A rebel commander has noted that exchanges between locals and the FSA were civil. However, in a report, a resident accused the rebels of using the civilians as human shields by using civilian homes as shelter.

Islamic extremists and foreign fighters have joined the fighting in Aleppo. Many of them are highly experienced and come from neighboring Iraq, a country with an ongoing insurgency. Jihadists have been reported to also come from several countries across the Muslim World. Although their numbers are low, their presence worried rebel commanders and the international community, who fear sectarian violence. Jacques Bérès, a French surgeon, who treated wounded fighters in Aleppo reported that he noticed a significant number of foreign fighters, most of whom had Islamist goals and were not directly interested for the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Some of the fighters included Libyans, Chechens and some Frenchmen. He said this was in stark contrast to Idlib and Homs, where foreign forces were not common. Some FSA brigades have cooperated with Mujahideen fighters.

At the beginning of the Battle, Aleppo's Kurds also formed armed groups of which the most notable was the Kurdish Salahaddin Brigade. The Kurdish Salahaddin Brigade works together with the opposition, while the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) has cold relations with both sides. The PYD's Popular Protection Committees stay out of the Arab areas and at the same time insist that the FSA stays out of the Kurdish area, moreover, they don't confront the Syrian Army unless they are attacked. The Kurdish areas in Aleppo are mainly under the control of the PYD. Syria's Turkmens also joined the battle and their Turkmen Sultan Abdulhamid Han Brigade has 400 fighters.

The Syrian government has support in Aleppo, as rebel commander stated that "around 70% of Aleppo city is with the regime". However, during the course of the battle, Assad lost a significant amount of support from Aleppo's wealthy class. CBS News learned that 48 elite businessmen who were the primary financiers for the Syrian government decided to switch sides to the rebels. For the first time, the Syrian Army engaged in an urban warfare. Their forces are divided into small groups each consisting out of 40 soldiers. The soldiers are mostly armed with automatic rifles and anti-tank rockets. The artillery, tanks and helicopters are used only as a support. In August the Army deployed its elite units. Eventually, after the rebels executed Shabiha and tribal leader of the al-Berri tribe, Zeino al-Berri, the tribe joined the fight against the rebels. Also, as Christians in the city feared the possible oppression and expulsion under Islamists, some supported the Army and formed their own militias to fight the rebels after the capture of their quarters by the special forces of the Syrian Army. The Armenians, who are also Christians, also supported the Syrian Army. Aleppo's Armenians claim that Turkey supports the FSA in order to attack Armenians. Arab Christian and Armenian militia has around 150 fighters.

Battle

Rebel attack and capture of Eastern Aleppo

Gunfire between rebels and security forces broke out on the night of 19 July in Salaheddine, a district in the southwest portion of the city, and its surrounding neighborhoods. It is unclear whether the district already had a strong rebel presence before the battle began, or it was captured by opposition fighters coming from the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, thousands of rebel soldiers from Aleppo’s northern and eastern countryside began to move towards the city.

Fighting in Salaheddine continued into the next day, as the Syrian Army began shelling rebel controlled districts with artillery and attack helicopters. By the early afternoon of 21 July, rebel forces from the outskirts of the city had penetrated into Aleppo’s northeastern neighborhoods of Haydariya and Sakhour, where they clashed with the Syrian Army. Activists reported that the fighting caused many residents to flee to safer areas.

On 22 July, fighting had spread from Salaheddine and neighboring Saif al-Dawla to al-Jameeliya and its surrounding neighborhoods near the city center, leading to a battle for the city’s main intelligence headquarters. By the next day, rebels on the eastern front captured Helweniyeh, and according a rebel commander, Hanano and the industrial area of Sheikh Najjar as well. Meanwhile, continuing clashes near the city center included a rebel attack on the city’s state TV station and the central prison, where according to activists a massacre conducted by security forces had taken place. Throughout the day, power was out in much of the city.

Fighting in city center and army reinforcements

On 24 July, the FSA launched an offensive to take the city center, leading to heavy fighting near the gates of the Old City, a UN World heritage site known for its ancient structures. Meanwhile, rebel forces on the eastern front continued to push westwards. The FSA set up checkpoints in the eastern al-Sahkour district. Later that day, the Syrian Army used, along with artillery and attack helicopters, fighter jets for the first time since the conflict began to bombard rebel-held districts.

During the next two days, the government sent thousands of Army reinforcements from surrounding regions to Aleppo. The troops were sent mostly via the M5 highway connecting Damascus and Aleppo from the city’s south, and the main Aleppo-Latakia road from the city’s west, with rebels conducting several deadly attacks on arriving troops. Among the government troop reinforcements that were massing on the outskirts of Aleppo were also special forces units. The Syrian Army had reportedly amassed 10,000 soldiers around Aleppo and its countryside. Meanwhile, 1500 to 2000 rebel fighters from around northern Syria arrived to assist the 2,000 already in Aleppo. Along with the Old City, fighting raged in the central districts of Jamaliya and Kalasseh, and Bustan al-Qasr.

On 27 July, skirmishes occurred out on the outskirts of the city as both Army and FSA reinforcements continued to arrive. Rebel forces advanced to the central district of Fardous, despite continued bombardment. Kurdish fighters, who had gained control over most of the northern districts of Sheikh Maqsud and Al-Ashrafiya, clashed with Syrian troops around the neighborhoods in retaliation after government troops attacked their convoy on the airport road the previous day.

Salaheddine raid

On the morning of 28 July, the Syrian Army started an attack against Salaheddin district, which held the largest concentration of rebels. The assault commenced with an eight-hour artillery bombardment, which started at four in the morning, after which tanks and ground troops moved in. During the clashes, rebels, providing unverified video footage, claimed to have shot down a government helicopter gunship, a rare feat. Rebels also claimed that 8–10 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed. Meanwhile, rebel forces continued to attack a strategic police station in the city center for the third day, in an attempt to link up with opposition forces in the northeastern Sakhour district on the eastern front. By the end of the day, the rebels had repelled the assault with government troops pulling back, but the bombardment continued. Among the FSA fighters killed that day was a battalion commander. On the next day, fighting continued in Salaheddin, with reports of Syrian Army soldiers defecting with tanks occurring in the city. In the evening, the state media reported that Salaheddin was recaptured by the Army, a claim rejected by the opposition, who claimed to be in control of 35 to 40 percent of Aleppo.

Continued rebel offensive

File:Burning tank in Aleppo.PNG

A Syrian Army tank burns in Aleppo

In late July and early August, the FSA continued its offensive in Aleppo, with both sides of the conflict suffering high casualties and losses. Rebel commanders said their main aim was to capture the city center. Rebels seized a strategic checkpoint in the town of Anadan north of Aleppo, gaining a direct route between the city and the Turkish border, an important rebel supply base. They also captured Al-Bab, a town with an army base northeast of the city. Later, rebels attacked the Minakh military air base, 30 kilometres northwest of Aleppo, with arms and tanks they captured at the Anadan checkpoint. Opposition forces continued to make territorial gains in the city, controlling most of eastern and southwestern Aleppo, including Salaheddine and parts of Hamdaniyeh. They continued to target security centers and police stations, as clashes erupted near the Air Force intelligence headquarters in Aleppo's northwestern Zahraa district. Rebels overran several police stations and posts in the central and southern districts of Bab al-Nerab, Al-Miersa, and Salhain, seizing significant amounts of arms and ammunitions.

During this time, the Syrian military continued its attempt to capture Salaheddine, while bombarding rebel-held territories throughout the city with artillery, helicopters and airstrikes. Ambushes and executions continued as well. However, the Army appeared to have made little effort in sending ground forces to recapture the central and southern districts. Also, a militia from the loyalist Al-Barre tribe began to clash with rebel forces in southern Aleppo and near the city’s southeastern international airport. Clashes between the tribesmen and the rebels escalated after rebel fighters executed the tribe’s militia leader, Zino Berri.

Stalemate

Free Syrian Army fighter walking among rubble in Aleppo.

From 3 to 5 August, fighting and shelling continued in several districts across Aleppo, but neither side made significant ground. The Syrian Army finished its deployment of reinforcements to the city, with 20,000 troops mobilized. Meanwhile, rebels retreated after attempts to capture the Minagh airbase 30 miles outside the city and the state TV station in Izaa district, a few blocks northeast of Salahaddine.

On 6 August, the rebel colonel in charge of the Aleppo Battle, Abdul Gabbar Kaidi, stated that the rebels were still fighting in Salahaddine, but were not in control of the district. He said that they were still there attacking checkpoints, but that the district was destroyed and full of army tanks. The media center of the Taweed brigade, located in the Sakhour district, was destroyed by an airstrike, while rebels attacked a checkpoint near the Aleppo University dormitories, destroying two armored vehicles. Fighting erupted near the Aleppo presidential palace, and government forces shelled rebel positions at the Palace of Justice and in the Marjeh and Sha'ar (Terbet Lala) districts, while another rebel commander was killed in fighting in the Salahaddine area. FSA also controlled the ground on at least two sides of the Citadel of Aleppo, which was meanwhile under the Syrian army control, and were preparing for an attack on it.

On 7 August, the ancient citadel in the center of the city, manned by government troops, was under siege, as military armored units inched forward through Salahaddine from the southwest. The Syrian Army encircled rebels fighters in Salahaddine from two sides, where the rebels were running low on ammunition. Military snipers deployed in areas of the district on rooftops and tanks were stationed in the streets. Snipers were also positioned in the local roundabout where they were stopping rebel reinforcements and supplies to enter the district.

The FSA had reportedly advanced to the Bab Jnēn and Sabaa Bahrat districts of Aleppo where, along with al-Asilah district, there were fierce clashes. In the north of the city, rebels made an attempt to advance into a Kurdish district, clashing with Kurdish fighters. Fighting ceased after military jets bombed the area, forcing rebel forces to retreat. At this point, opposition activists confirmed that Aleppo had been completely surrounded by government troops.

Rebel withdrawal from Salaheddine

Aleppians waiting in a bread line while shelling continues.

On the morning of 8 August, the Syrian military launched an offensive to retake Salaheddine, a rebel stronghold that was blocking an important supply route for government soldiers coming from the south. The military hoped to be able to advance far enough to link up with troops at the Aleppo Citadel. By this time, many rebel fighters in the district were reported to be low on ammunition, and exhausted. After intense fighting and shelling in the district throughout the day, half a dozen Syrian Army tanks managed to breach into the center of Salaheddine. In the early morning of the next day, artillery shelling intensified as more tanks moved into the district. Unable to halt the armor units, many FSA units began to depart. By mid-morning, hundreds of rebel fighters were pulling out of the district, with some leaving the city. Fearing a continued Syrian Army advance, some rebel units in nearby Saif al-Dawla and Bustan al-Qasar, districts east of Salaheddine, began to evacuate as well. The withdrawal occurred while the city remained relatively quiet, as government forces made little attempts to advance forward. During the evening of 9 August, Syrian Army troops and armored vehicles, accompanied by the Mukhabarat and the Shabiha, moved into the neighborhood, searching house to house for remaining rebels, as snipers began setting up positions. Although FSA commanders acknowledged the withdrawal, they said they planned to regroup and later retake Salaheddine.

Elsewhere in the city, clashes and bombardments continued. Fighting continued in the central district of Bab al-Hadid and the southeast district of Bab al-Nairab. Rebel fighters made attempts to recapture Salaheddine, but were held back by snipers and mortar fire. To avoid them, fighters sometimes traveled through holes in deserted buildings.

Army attack on Saif al-Dawla and clashes in the Christian districts

Bombed out vehicles after street fighting.

On 12 August, the Sha'ar, Helweniyeh, Sakhour, Hanano and Bustan al-Qasr districts all came under artillery bombardment, while the Saif al-Dawla neighborhood, next to Salaheddin, was hit by tank shells and a MiG jet fired missiles every few minutes at a rebel-held police station. Sniper and artillery fire was also directed against Saif al-Dawla and a rebel commander confirmed that Army tanks had advanced past the roundabout in Salaheddin, where there was fighting the day before, despite the resistance of some 150 rebel fighters. He also stated that rebel forces attacked the previous day a petrol station in Salaheddin, which was being used as a military base, and killed the base's commander. During the action they also captured a lot of badly needed ammunition and weapons. Sniper fire was still being reported in Salaheddin.

The pro-government newspaper al-Watan stated that the Army was poised to assault the Sukari neighbourhood, in the south of the city, after its recapture of the nearby Salaheddin district three days earlier. "The door to Sukari district, the second bastion of the armed men in Aleppo, is now open for the army," it said, adding that troops had "gained control of several axes, which would allow them to storm the area."

SANA further claimed that the military clashed with the rebels at the entrance of Bab Antakeya and near the Aghyol roundabout.

On 13 August, following the capture of the Salaheddine district several days before, SOHR reported that the Syrian Army stormed the west of the Saif al-Dawla district. "They are now clashing with the rebels, and parts of Salaheddin are being shelled.", SOHR reported. Security sources in Damascus also stated that the Syrian Army was advancing on the rebel-held district of Sukari. The Observatory meanwhile said opposition fighters attacked a key air force intelligence branch in the western Zahraa district. At the same time, rebels made another attempt to attack the radio and television station in Aleppo.

Video footage emerged of several executions of prisoners in Aleppo province by rebel forces. Among them, a blindfolded man, claimed to be a pro-government militiaman, with his hands tied behind his back, had his throat cut multiple times in Aleppo city. Opposition activists claimed that rebels had nothing to do with the killings.

On 15 August, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Aleppo claimed that the FSA stopped the military from taking a new area of Salaheddin while fighting, accompanied by bombardment, continued in the Saif al-Dawla district and a MiG jet conducted an air-strike in the Sha'ar area. SANA, for its part, characterised the continued fighting in Salaheddin as cleaning operations against "remnants of the mercenaries". The state news agency also claimed that 32 rebel technicals were destroyed in the countryside of Aleppo, at least 12 of them as they were attempting to enter Aleppo City. Another 2 technicals were later reported destroyed in Saif al-Dawla. During the day, rebels reported that they captured Bab al-Nasr and surrounding area, forcing soldiers to retreat to the city centre. President al-Assad issued Decree No. 310 for 2012 on appointing Mohammad Waheed Aqqad as Governor of Aleppo.

On 17 August, SANA claimed that a number of the rebel's leaders were killed in operation near the Cultural Center in Hanano in the al-Klasah area. An ammunition warehouse was also destroyed near Adham Mustafa highschool in the Saif Addolah neighborhood and clashes were reported in half a dozen other areas.

A government fighter jet blasted the top three floors of a five-story apartment building, killing a mother, father and their three boys. Buried in the rubble was a newlywed couple who moved in on their wedding night two months ago. Rebels searched for remaining civilians buried in the rubble. In rebel-controlled areas, the rebels faced few direct challenges on the ground but can do nothing against government air and artillery strikes. The day before, artillery had hit a bakery killing 35 people and wounding another 50 who were queuing up for bread.

Heavy fighting was reported at Aleppo International Airport, a strategic gateway to the city. According to SANA, rebels were "pushed out from areas on both sides of the airport".

On 18 August, SANA reported on fighting near the Faculty of Sciences and the Radio area in Aleppo city. Further, Army cleaning operations were reported in the areas of al-Andalus school, al-Hayat Hospital, Rahmo Khatab school, al-Hamiyat Hospital and Ahmad Saeed school. The Syrian army also claimed to have taken the area of Maysaloun Hospital from the rebels.

On 19 August, Syrian State TV claimed that the Syrian Army captured the Saif al-Dawla district.

On 20 August, an opposition activist claimed rebels made advances in the Jdeydeh historic quarter and the Tilel street, however the report could not be independently verified. The Japanese TV reporter Mika Yamamoto was killed, the first foreign journalist to be killed in Aleppo since the beginning of the battle.

On 21 August, both the rebels and the military made competing claims of advances in the city, neither of which could be independently verified.

On 22 August, rebels tried to make an advance in Saif al-Dawla, but their attack was repelled by heavy mortar and RPG fire. At one point, their retreat was cut-off. Syrian forces shelled Aleppo and two neighbouring towns. The army bombarded rebel weapons stocks in the Aleppo region to prevent the arms from reaching the rebels in the city and the reinforcements from both sides are heading to Aleppo, stated the security official.

On 23 August, the military reportedly recaptured three Christian neighborhoods in the Old City from the rebels, according to several residents contacted by AFP. The districts of Jdeide, Tela and Sulaimaniyeh were captured by opposition forces five days before. One resident claimed the takeover by the Syrian Army was celebrated by hundreds of residents, who begun to set up popular committees to avoid a potentiel return of the rebels. The main rebel commander had, earlier in the day, claimed that rebel fighters were near the districts. The military recapture was later confirmed by AFP. However, it was disclosed that the re-capture of the Jdeide quarter from Islamist rebels was initially started by the Christian residents, who took up arms after the rebels had set up checkpoints and fired on the churches and residents. They stormed the square where most rebels were positioned and took control of it. The Syrian army later joined the Christian militia to expel the rebels from the quarter.

SANA also reported that Syrian Army raided half a dozen opposition hideouts, two of them at the al-Tahrir and Abdul-Muneim al-Sabbagh schools, killing and capturing many of them. A rebel field hospital near the Post Establishment in Saif al-Dawla was captured and an ammunition depot in another area was destroyed. SANA also claimed that the Army destroyed 40 technicals that day that were moving from Jarablus towards the city.

CBS News learned that at least 48 of Aleppo's elite businessmen, calling themselves the "Front of Aleppo Islamic Scholars" (FAIS), hand-picked a provisional city council to take over as Aleppo's new local government. The 48 businessmen were financiers for the Syrian government, who decided to switch sides to the rebels.

War of attrition

Wounded civilians arrive at the hospital.

On 24 August, SANA reported fighting in several districts, claiming the Army killed more than a dozen of them, including three snipers and a rebel mortar team. It was also claimed the military confronted a rebel group "that attacked citizens" near the al-Wafa elderly care home in the Hanano area.

On 25 August, SANA claimed that a dozen more rebel technicals and one bus were destroyed in several areas of the city, and that a rebel commander Mohammad Yaser Karandal was also killed in the Saif al Dawla neighborhood.

An AFP reporter visited the frontline with the rebels, who were located in the Mashad neighbourhood. They were trying to stop the government tanks, located in Saif al-Dawla, from advancing. One rebel commander at the frontline between the two neighbourhoods said that they were holding their positions, but that there were a lot of wounded and killed on their side. The Syrian Army was also moving in the Sukari district and rebel fighters complained that they were having shortages of RPGs to face the armored vehicles.

On 26 August, SANA reported clashes in more than a dozen areas in the city, significantly at the Cultural Center in Hanano, the Industrial School in al-Saliheen, the al-Tananir Square and the Scientific Institute of Aleppo, claiming the Army had caused "heavy losses" among the rebels, including killing several snipers. Five technicals were also reportedly destroyed. Head of the Arab Anglican Church in Aleppo, Father Ibrahim Nassir, also reported that the Institute had been vandalised by the rebels.

The oppositon group Syrian Observatory reported that the Syrian Army was trying to take control of the Isaa district while state TV claimed the district was captured from rebels. HRW accused the Syrian Government of indiscriminate attacks and deliberately targeting civilians when shelling long lines of civilians waiting for bread at bakeries in rebel-held neighborhoods.

On 28 August, SANA claimed that the Army had seized a large amount of weapons in a number of neighbourhoods. The clashes were reported in Saif al-Dawla, Sha'ar, Sakhour, Suweiqa, Sayyed Ali districts in Aleppo and al-Eis and Bayanoun villages. The army had inflicted a number of losses among the rebels, also killing two snipers, and reportedly destroying 17 technicals. As SANA reported, the Children Hospital was also cleared by the Army.

On 29 August, SANA claimed that the Army had clashed with rebels near the Mahmoud Saif School in al-Sakhour, the Central Prison road, al-Sukari, al-Kallaseh, the Cement Factory in al-Maslamiyeh area, the village of Qabtan al-Jabal and al-Bab in Aleppo countryside and al-Leirmoun. The Army inflicted heavy losses upon the rebels, also destroying six and more technicals and one lorry. SANA also reported that the Army had killed rebels coming from Andan, Hayan and Bab Qara in the northern countryside of the province that were heading towards Aleppo. In Hayyan in Aleppo's northern countryside the authorities had arrested a rebel leader.

An increasing number of reports indicated that the Syrian government is attacking civilians at bread bakeries with artillery rounds and rockets in opposition-controlled cities and districts in Aleppo province and Aleppo city, with the reports indicating that the bakeries were shelled indiscriminately. HRW said these are war crimes, as the only military targets in the areas were rebels manning the bakeries and that dozens of civilians were killed.

On 30 August, SANA reported clashes in the al-Khandaq Street and the village of Rasm al-Abboud in the eastern countryside of Aleppo where the Army inflicted heavy losses upon rebels. SANA reported that the Army had killed a rebel leader named Mohammad Issa Moussa and called 'al-Qatteh'.

On 31 August, rebel fighters claimed to have launched a major offensive, attacking "several" security compounds and bases, one of which SOHR said sparked a firefight in which an unspecified number of soldiers were killed or wounded. Activists claimed that three warplanes were destroyed when rebels attacked Kwers military airport in Aleppo. The warplanes and artillery continued to fire on rebel positions. The rebel group Syrian Observatory reported that the fighting happened in the Sukari, Hanano and Bustan Al Qasr.

On 2 September, an airstrike on Al-Sultan street in the heart of Aleppo killed 10 people, including 7 children.

On 3 September, a Syrian general leading the fight in Aleppo predicted that the city would be totally recaptured within 10 days. He said that once Saif al-Dawla was conquered, the rest of the city would fall quickly as the Army already captured the other main rebel stronghold of Salaheddine. He added that the Army was in control of the upper area of Saif al-Dawla and that they were trying to expend their control over the whole district. AFP reporters visited Salaheddine and confirmed that it was under effective control of the Syrian Army. The same general added that the battle was pitting 3,000 government soldiers against 7,000 rebels and that 2,000 rebels had been killed since the beginning of the assault. AFP also confirmed that the Army captured, two days before, two 10-storey malls on either side of the main street in Saif al-Dawla, which were being used by rebel snipers.

On 6 September, Kurdish activists reported that 21 civilians were killed in the Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maksud when Syrian army shelled the local mosque and nearby areas. Despite not directly witnessing any clashes between government forces and FSA units, residents believed that district was shelled as retaliation for locals sheltering anti-government civilians from other districts. In a statement released shortly after the attack, the Kurdish Supreme Committee and Popular Protection Units vowed retaliation.

Hanano and Midan fighting

A destroyed tank on a road in Aleppo.

On 7 September, rebels attacked the Hanano military base, during which 6 rebels and 18 government soldiers were killed. The FSA managed to free 350 detainees from the camp when they overran one of the main security buildings. Those wishing to defect were sent to various fighter positions in the region, while common law prisoners remain in detention. The offensive had been in the planning for some time and "several brigades" were assigned to the attack. Abu Omar, a rebel commander, claimed that their main motive for the offensive was because "there are a lot of army soldiers, snipers and shabiha mercenaries there". The rebels tried to cut strategic supply lines and stop the army's shelling of their positions. However, the Army pushed the rebels out of the base the next day, after a 20-hour battle with heavy casualties on both sides. "The rebels had thrown themselves full whole-heartedly into this offensive because they desperately need weapons," the army source said on condition of anonymity. The Hanano base serves as a weapons storage depot, a conscript recruitment centre and also houses the headquarters of the local branch of the military police and anti-riot police. According to the activist group SOHR, rebels stormed the area reserved for conscript recruitment the previous day. A military source reported that six rebel armored vehicles, which were used to ferry captured arms out of the base, were destroyed in the battle.

The rebels shelled two churches and a monastery in Aleppo on 8 September, according to SANA. SANA also reported that the Syrian Army had eliminated a group of rebels in Bab al-Maqam by killing majority of them.

Meanwhile, SOHR reported that the Syrian Army advanced in the Sa'ad al-Ansari (Iza'a), Saif al-Dawla and Salaheddine neighborhoods following the withdrawal of rebel forces after heavy shelling. 21 Kurdish civilians were killed in the Aleppo neighbourhood of Sheikh Maksud when Syrian forces shelled an area near the Marouf mosque, according to Kurdish activists. Another 30 people were reportedly killed in the Helwaniyeh neighborhood, according to the opposition group the LCC.

Aleppo's main water pump was also destroyed during the day. The Syrian government and opposition accused each-other over the damage to the water pipeline in the central neighborhood of Midan. The LCC and Aleppo-based activists said a Syrian army warplane hit the pipeline with a missile. The SOHR said the pipeline was hit as warplanes bombed the area while clashes raged on the ground, but it said it was not immediately clear what the exact source of the damage was.

On 9 September, a car bomb exploded in Aleppo killing at least 30 civilians and wounding more than 64. Women, children and two security officers were among the victims. The Syrian state television accused the rebels, while no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Governor of Aleppo said that the bombing took place near al-Hayat Hospital and the Central Hospital. The bombing caused significant material damage to the two hospitals, al-Nusour al-Zahabiya elementary school, and nearby buildings. The next day the FSA admitted that they have carried out the attack as they claimed that the facilities were used by the government troops. The attack was executed after Syrian Air Force dropped bombs on rebel targets in the Hanano killing dozens.

During the day, another car bomb exploded near Qutaybah Bin Muslim al-Bahili school in al-Shuhada'a neighbourhood in New Aleppo area. The bomb killed three civilians, including a 10-year-old girl. Other six civilians were injured.

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Syrian Army troops in the Maysaloun neighborhood of Aleppo

SANA reported clashes between the Army and the rebels near al-Ansari Mosque in Maysaloun, near Arqoub in Maysaloun area, near al-Furkan Mosque in al-Arqoub area and al-Suliemaniya area. The rebels suffered "heavy losses" according to SANA. The Syrian army also destroyed three trucks and killed a number of snipers, as reported.

On 10 September, at least 20 Syrian soldiers were executed by the rebels after they had been captured at the Hanano barracks. The executors were members of the Hawks of Syria, one of the FSA's brigades. On the same day, six men and a women were killed by members of the Ramouseh Bridge, a rebel fighter in the video reads out the personal information from the ID cards of the dead bodies, and asserts that at least two of them, including the woman, were officers.

The SOHR reported shelling attacks on the Aleppo neighbourhoods of Haidariyeh, Hanano, Meyseer and Sha'ar overnight, and that one rebel had been killed in the fighting. During the night, a three-day rebel assault on the Midan district, in the center of the city, was repelled and government forces pushed the rebels back toward Bostan Pasha, said one resident who spoke to AFP.

On 11 September, SANA reported clashes in more than half a dozen areas in the city. Rebels reportedly suffered heavy losses. The Army confiscated 38,000 litres of oil that was supposed to be smuggled out near al-Barkoum Bridge. Further, SANA reported that the Army had destroyed 16 technicals during the day. Four Syrian Armenians were killed and 16 injured on their way home from the airport after a trip to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is not clear who opened fire on their cars, but it is speculated that it was the FSA.

Over the night of 11/12 September, the Army pounded rebel positions across Aleppo focusing on the southern districts of Bustan al-Qasr, Sukari and Kellaseh and the northeastern districts of Sakhour, Sha'ar and Hanano. One resident said that helicopter gunships also strafed the rebel district of Bostan Pasha. Fighting took place at dawn of 12 September in Al-Nayrab area, five kilometres north from the city's airport due to a rebel effort to capture the airport; the airport however remained fully operational. SANA reported that in the fight in al-Nayrab the Army had destroyed ten technicals and killed the rebels there. Four Syrian Armenians were killed in an ambush during the attack.

On 13 September, SANA reported a number of rebels were killed or injured in several areas and explosives, PK machine guns, pistols, communication devices, computers, documents including information on rebel groups were seized. SOHR reported that 11 people were killed in an airstrike by Syrian warplanes in the Helweniyeh neighbourhood, however it was not reported whether those victims were rebels or civilians. THE LCC reported that the Syrian army also used a heavy barrage of artillery against the Fardoss district of the city.

Rebel fighters were also reported to have advanced into the key contested central Midan district, a highly strategic area as it opens the way into the main square of Aleppo. One resident said that "They were at Bostan Pasha (district) and had already advanced up to Suleyman al-Halabi Street. Now they have entered a street in Midan," after heavy clashes were reported.

The fighting in Midan continued into the next day, with clashes raging around two police stations. The rebels managed to capture the stations, but were driven out by the military, only to return later in a counter-attack, reigniting Army attempts to dislodge them. SANA claimed that the Syrian Army had cleared areas around the Hreitani building, Sports Institute and the Maternity Hospital in the district and that tens of "terrorists" were killed, including a Libyan sniper, and weapons were confiscated. Fighting was also reported elsewhere in the city. The rebels turned the St Gregory Church into a battlefield when they tried to progress in the Midan quarter, before being forced back when they met the heavy army resistance.

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A Syrian Army tank in the Maysaloun neighborhood of Aleppo.

Late during the night, it was reported that the Army conducted air-strikes on the two police stations, forcing the rebels to retreat, and, at one point, nobody controlled the two posts. An air-strike was also conducted against a rebel-held police station in Hanano. A unit of the Republican guard seized the Ansar Mosque in the rebel controlled Arqoub district, which was strategically positioned in front of the Hanano military base. Several rebels were killed or wounded when the soldiers took over their position.

The next morning, on 15 September, after one week of fighting, the Army had control of most of the Midan area and set up checkpoints for the first time. Rebels still held some positions on the border between Midan and the rebel-held Bostan Pasha and Arqoub districts. Clashes were continuing at the entrance of Bostan Pasha and another air-strike hit the police post in Hanano. The Armenpress reported that dozens of rebels were killed during the fighting for Midan, which is a predominantly Armeninan-populated district. Beside fightings in al-Midan neighbourhood, SANA reported that the Army had killed "scores" of rebels in al-Firdous neighbourhod. SANA also reported that a number of rebels were killed in the Midan district, including three killed inside their destroyed technicals. In various clashes across the city, state media reported that 21 rebel technicals were destroyed during the day.

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A Syrian Army soldier in Aleppo helps an elderly civilian get to safety near Hanano base.

On 16 September, rebel fighters made another attempt to push back into Midan. They fired rocket-propelled grenades, through a wall encircling an Armenian Orthodox church, from their stronghold in the Suleiman al-Halabi Street. They then rushed into the courtyard of the church but were met with resistance from Army troops. Soon, the rebels were forced back into a back street through the damaged wall and their attack was repelled. Later, the military announced that the armed forces had completely cleared the al-Midan area and taken control of the district. This was confirmed by an AFP correspondent on the ground, although he said that there were a few areas where snipers were still active. The correspondent saw the corpses of nine rebels in the streets of the fourth area of the district. At the same time as the fighting in Midan occurred, the military made an advance into the rebel-held Arkoub district. Members of the Republican Guards attacked and captured the Ansar mosque, after they received fire from it earlier during the day. The mosque had strategic importance, due to it being positioned right in front of the Hanano military base.

Opposition SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman stated that the battle for Aleppo was very fluid, with both sides claiming gains in what is a guerilla war. "When the army says they control an area, it is only temporary," he told AFP. "They take districts and there are clashes with the guerrillas again, this is not real progress." As for the rebels he said, "They claim to control a checkpoint or a post, but then the army comes and destroys everything. That is not real control."

Continuing clashes

A Free Syrian Army soldier standing in front of a door with a machine-gun.

On 17 September SANA reported clashes in the Western al-Zahra neighbourhood. Dozens of rebels were killed as well as two Syrian soldiers. In other parts of the city the Army had destroyed 6 technicals.

On 18 September, clashes and shelling were reported in the rebel-held Bustan al-Qasr district, where SANA claimed rebels had "heavy losses", and that two soldiers died. Clashes also occurred in Iza'a and the government held western Zahra district. SANA also reported that during the day the Syrian army had destroyed a lorry loaded with ammunition and two techinals. In the al-Mansoura neighborhood SANA claimed that the Syrian army killed several rebels as well.

On 19 September, SANA reported clashes in Masaken al-Fardous, near the Cultural Center and Omar Bin al-Khattab Mosque in the aforementioned area, near the Vocational Training Institute in Maysaloun neighbourhood and Saif al-Dawla. SANA claimed Syrian army inflicted "heavy losses" upon the rebels and destroyed ammunition warehouses. The Army also had seized larger amount of weapons.

The rebels in Aleppo, due to a lack of foreign supplies, were resorting to manufacturing their own weapons. One of these, a howitzer called "Dadool" complete with homemade high explosive shells, is so dangerous that it is operated by using a 20 meter long lanyard to protect the firer in case of the weapon exploding. The rebels also deny receiving any foreign support in the form of weapons. A rebel commander named Abdelkader el-Hadji stated "The weapons we have now we captured from Assad's army. We now have a few tanks. Where do you think we got them? We took them from Assad." Another former US intelligence officer stated that the West "encouraged them to rise up and then didn't do anything to support them." According to a report by Al Jazeera English, the rebels were also making their own weapons from scrap metal in workshops around the city, ranging from anti-tank mines to unguided rockets. Some these rockets were used in a raid on Aleppo international airport, which the government was using as an airbase from which to bomb the city. One rebel was quoted as saying that they were forced to do this "because there are no foreign weapons, because [foreign governments] only talk, we were forced to make our own weapons and ammunition."

On 20 September, the Syrian Army launched an operation to recapture the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood. The killings occurred near al-Fidaa al-Arabi school. SANA also said that other clashes occurred in the Hanano area, al-Fatayes quarter in al-Jadideh and al-Arqoub area, and Qadi Askar roundabout. SANA said "heavy losses" were inflicted upon the rebels and among the dead was a sniper. Also, government troops were engaged in street battles in the rebel-held Suleiman al-Halabi district, which is adjacent to Midan.

Meanwhile, opposition forces made attempts in uniting the two largest rebel groups in Aleppo and the surrounding countryside under one command, so they could launch better coordinated attacks against government troops. Analysts claimed that the reason for the stalemate between the military and the rebels in the city was due to the low morale of the Syrian Army and an inability to reinforce and resupply the troops from Damascus via the highway. The government has discussed the use of chemical weapons on Aleppo as a last resort if they lose complete control of it to the rebels, and reports came to light via Der Spiegel that the Syrian government had restarted chemical weapons tests in nearby Safira at the end of August. Aleppo activists reported 37 civilians killed within Aleppo city from the Syrian Army's bombardment over night.

Over night of 20/21 September the fighting erupted near the Hanano military base, SOHR said. Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood was still under attack after the Syrian army launched an attacks to try to recapture the neighbourhood. The Army also started an attack on Shakour neighbourhood during the day. The clashes have been also reported in Shakour rondabout where dozens of rebels have been killed, SANA said.

The SOHR said that the Furdous neighbourhood had been under violent bombardment by the Syrian army. Violent clashes took place in the Sayyed Ali neighbourhood, early reports that both sides suffered losses. Syrian government forces carried out campaigns of raids and random arrests in the Hamdaniya neighbourhood. Violent clashes took place between regime forces and rebel fighters in the Bab Nasr neighbourhood, preliminary information indicates casualties from both parties. A Syrian army sniper was killed in Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood. SANA also said that rebel leader nicknamed Hajj Ibrahim had been killed in Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood as well as gunman of his group.

On 22 September, SOHR said that the Syrian army artillery shelled several rebel-held districts of Aleppo city, five members of the same family, including children, were killed. Katergi, Shaar, Sakhur, Hanano, Arkub and Marjeh neighbourhoods were targeted. SANA reported clashes in which rebels suffered "heavy losses" in the Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood, Suleiman al-Halabi neighborhood and the al-Atareb-Oroum al-Soughra highway. SANA also said that the Army had recaptured the Third Industrial Institute in Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood and destroyed several rebels' centres. The fighting for Suleimal al-Halabi started two days ago.

On 23 September, the Syrian army had recaptured the Qasr al-Wali restaurant in al-Sayyid Ali which was used as a rebel centre of operation, SANA said. Yousef Deya, a rebel sniper was killed and two technicals destroyed.

On 24 September, SANA said the Syrian Army took the Agricultural Institute in al-Arqoub area in Aleppo city and areas of al-Quran Mosque and Ali Nasser Agha School in Suleiman al-Halabi district. Sana claimed the Syrian army also recaptured the Christian al-Jdeideh neighbourhood. SANA reported clasehs in Karm al-Jabal and al-Isharat neighbourhoods, al-Jandoul, Bab al-Hadid and Qadi Askar roundabouts, al-Mahaba Hall in Sukari neighbourhood and near the retirement home in Bustan al-Basha where rebels suffered "heavy losses." SOHR said that the Syrian army's artillery shelling on Aleppo destroyed a residential building, killing three Children. The LCC also reported artillery strike on the Maadi neighborhood.

SOHR said the neighbourhoods of al-Sakhur, Tareeq al-Bab, al-Marja, al-Sheikh Khudur, and Suleiman al-Halabi of Aleppo city were under bombardment by regime forces, leading to the damaging of some houses. Violent clashes took place between the Syrian army and rebel fighters in the surroundings of the Hanano barrack in the A'rqub neighborhood.

Later the same day, SOHR said the neighbourhoods of al-Kallasa, al-Masharqa, Bustan al-Basha, B'eidin and al-Feyd were bombarded by Syrian government forces. Clashes took place in the old neighbourhoods of Aleppo; they also clashes in the Saba' Bahrat and al-Masharqa neighborhoods. SOHR also said a lawyer died of wounds he received in the Suleiman al-Halabi neighborhood.

On 25 September, a Syrian Army source told AFP that Army's operations in Arkoub are finished and that Army was involved in door-to-door activity in search for the rebels. However, the SOHR said that clashes were stil ongoing in Arkoub. SANA also reported continuing clashes in Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood and that clashes occurred in the Western al-Sakhour area and near al-Hakim Hospital in al-Shaar area.

AFP reported on a meeting of all rebel brigade commanders, at which the overall assessment of the situation in the city, according to them, was that they were in a stalemate with the military due to a lack of ammunition. Even though they reportedly captured 5,000 assault rifles and 2,500 rocket launchers during the earlier raid on the Hanano military base.

On 26 September, SANA said the Syrian Army made a successful attack in the industrial area in Sheikh Najjar neighborhood, SANA also reported clashes in near al-Sabbagh school and the area of the grocery market in Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood and al-Yarmouk School in al-Kallaseh neighbourhood. SANA said the Syrian army inflicted "heavy losses" upon the rebels.

SOHR said the neighborhoods of Hanano, al-Sheikh Najjar, al-Marja, Karam Jabal, Qadi A'skar, and al-Kalasa of Aleppo city, were under bombardment by government forces, and no news were yet received about casualties. Clashes took place between the Syrian army and rebel fighters, in the Sabe' Bahrat neighbourhood, leading to "a number of deaths" among Syrian army forces.

On 27 September, SANA said that the Syrian army was involved in successful fighting near al-Orouba Club and the Sport Institution in the Bustan al-Basha neighborhood. Further SANA said that residents protested against the rebels' presence and that the rebels opened fire upon them. SOHR said the neighborhoods of al-Meyser and Masaken Hanano were bombarded in the morning by the Syrian army.

September rebel offensive

Doctors and medical staff treating injured rebel fighters in Aleppo

According to multiple sources, a new opposition offensive began on 27 September, which promised to be "zero hour" in the start of a "decisive battle" to capture the city. A rebel commander said they wanted to surprise the Syrian army, which had started to creep forward towards the southern neighborhoods. He claimed the Tawheed brigade was enticing the Syrian army forward to face all the fighting brigades in the city. According to him, the plan to launch the battle was top secret and a week in the making. The operation included 6,000 fighters of the Tawheed brigade, in addition to a few other brigades like al-Fatah and Ahfad al-Fatiheen for the Turkmen. Weapons and ammunition captured during the attack on the Hananou base were being used. He denied that the FSA had proclaimed "decisive" battles for Aleppo before.

The government sent a text message to most of the mobile/cellphones in the Aleppo area that read in part: "You have two choices; either be killed facing the State or the State will kill you to get rid of you, you decide...the game is over...the countdown has begun to expel all militants from neighboring countries..." The message was sent to all Syrians with subscriptions to the country’s two cellphone service providers in the Aleppo area. Those with pre-paid phones did not receive the message.

On the second day of the offensive, there was a growing threat of clashes between the rebels and a Kurdish militia believed to be linked to the PKK in Aleppo. The rebels, who grew suspicious over some Kurdish militants' ties with the government, also threatened to confront groups they said were linked to the militant Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK) in neighboring Turkey. One rebel leader, Abdelqadir al-Saleh, commander of the Tawheed Brigade, requested that the Kurdish militia surrender their weapons and "not drag themselves into a losing battle that is not their fight." Shortly thereafter, rebels attempted to advance into the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsoud district in the north of the city, where they reported capturing eight Shabbiha militiamen. Opposition activists and rebels reported that the Kurdish militia engaged the rebels and fought alongside government troops against the rebel forces in Sheikh Maqsoud. SANA said that the Syrian army inflicted "heavy losses" upon the rebels in the Sheikh Maqsoud district, while fighting alongside the districts residents. SANA also said the Syrian army clashed with "terrorists" in al-Taqadum Kindergartner, al-Milh Square and Forensic Medicine Center in the area of old Aleppo, with "losses" upon the rebels.

Meanwhile, fighting was reported in other central and southern parts of the city. The main points of the rebel attack close to the center were towards the government-held Hamidiya and Midan districts. Residents in neighborhoods that previously did not have fighting told the AFP news agency that the violence was "unprecedented", saying "The sound from the fighting has been non-stop," "Everyone is terrified. I have never heard anything like this before." said one local. At the same time, in the south, rebels advanced through the Izaa, Saif al-Dawla and Sukari districts. Rebel commander Abu Furat said that during the fighting a regular army base was taken in Salaheddine and 25 soldiers were killed. However, later rebel commanders said they were forced to retreat from Salaheddine. According to one rebel, 20 of their fighters were killed and 60 wounded during the fighting. FSA forces also reportedly suffered heavy losses in the Bdama neighborhood, where a rebel battalion’s first lieutenant was killed. Rebels reported one of their units was surrounded during the clashes, while some other battalions pulled out of the frontline or had never joined the battle.

Another rebel commander, the leader of the Sham Falcon's brigade, claimed the rebel fighters were able to progress in al-Arqoub, Maysaloon, Abdulla al-Jaberi square, Hamdaniya and Jamiliya. He said that the Syrian army was using planes and barrels of explosives to strike all the districts in Aleppo. He went on to say "there were ferocious battles in Salehaden and al-Ameriya and al-Sukari. It is a guerrilla war. The Syrian army would come forward 10 metres, we would move forward 50 metres and then if we need to pull back, we pull back. SOHR's Abdel Rahman said the fighting was not yielding major gains for either side. "Neither the regime nor the rebels are able to gain a decisive advantage," he said.

Rebels claimed to had stormed a government radio station, while government war planes bombed the city's outskirts. A major fire also engulfed Aleppo's medieval markets, destroying an estimated 700 to 1,000 shops. A major tourist attraction, the covered markets were among the largest in the Middle East. The rebels blamed the fire on army shelling. According to SANA, clashes took place in al Kalisah, al Firdous, Bab al-Nairab, Bab al-Hadid and Bustan al-Qasr. According to the Irish Times, the rebel offensive had dissolved in a street fight after the Syrian army heavily defended their positions. Irish Times and Reuters also reported that some rebels units were surrounded and others retreated even before entering the city. According to SANA, the Syrian army is in full control of al-Amiriyah and most of Tal az-Zarazir streets in Aleppo. SOHR said the Sakhour and Bab Hadid neighbourhoods were bombarded by Syrian army artillery and that clashes were taking place in the al-Arqoub and Aziziya neighborhoods., they also stated that Salaheddine had once again become the focal point for fighting between rebels and soldiers.

On the third day of the offensive, an activist claimed to CNN that rebels had taken control of at least four neighbourhoods and rebels were reported to have fired mortars at al-Nayrab Military Airport, damaging two helicopters and a main runway. The Syrian government denied that helicopters were destroyed in the al-Nayrab airport, claiming that those news from some media outlates is an attempt to raise the morale of rebels. According to Sana, the Syrian army targeted positions and inflicted losses in rebels near the Infirmary and the Sport Institute in Bustan al-Basha and near the Cotton Gins area, east and north of al-Jandoul. Another operation is mentioned near the crossroads of Baleh town, west of Aleppo, with casualties of rebels reported. SANA also said clashes, leading to rebel casualties, occurred in Qastal Harami, al-Sayyed Ali and Maysaloun Hospital areas. A Turkish fighter, who led an armed rebel unit and its members was also reported dead in clashes with the army in al-Tananeer Square.

The SOHR said that the neighborhoods of al-Sha'ar, al-Zabdaya, al-Sakhour, al-Sukari and al-Sheikh Ali were bombarded by government forces which led to several injuries. Reports referred to deaths in the al-Sheikh Ali neighborhood. Clashes took place between soldiers and rebel fighters in the perimeter of the Halab (Aleppo) International airport, Dawar al-Sakhour and al-A'qroub.

Opposition fighters from the Tawhid brigade and other northern brigades announced that they had partially taken over the Jandoul roundabout in Aleppo. Fighters also said 15 government soldiers were killed and three tanks were destroyed.

However, overall, the rebel offensive had by this point been described as stalled and the opposition fighters were reportedly struggling to hold on to their positions under heavy artillery fire. One rebel has described the current situation as 'boring' with the battle becoming yet another stalemate, Rebels blame the stalemate on their low ammunition and inferior firepower.

Aleppo Square bombings, Old City and Eastern Aleppo fighting

See also: Battle of Maarrat al-Nu'man

FSA fighters in a firefight in the Ancient City of Aleppo

On 1 October, according to SANA, the Syrian army clashed with rebels in al-Marjeh, Qadi Askar, Bab al-Hadid, near Hanano and Dar al-Shifaa in al-Shaar area alleging losses in men and equipment upon the rebels.

SOHR said that more than 40 were either killed or injured by bombardment on the Karm al-Jabal neighborhood in the al-Sha'ar area of Aleppo city. Several neighborhoods of the city were bombarded including Shakur and Salaheddine.

On 2 October, rebels claimed to have repulsed attacks in the neighborhood of Hanano, and that they were in control of most of the Old City in the face of heavy artillery fire. The rebels appeared to be moving towards the city center.

The pro-government Lebanese Al-Diyar newspaper announced that President Assad had flown in to Aleppo by helicopter at dawn and had ordered 30,000 additional government troops and 2000 personnel carriers to come to the city from Hama province (army units 5 and 6). The report also appeared in the pro-government daily Al-Watan as well as the Chinese Xinhua News Agency. SANA however made no mention of any visit.

The scene at Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square after the attacks on 3 October 2012

On 3 October, three suicide car bombs exploded at the eastern corner of the central Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square killing 34 people, as it was announced by the Ministry of interior. More than 122 people were reported to be heavily injured. The Islamist militant Jabhat Al-Nusra group claimed responsibility for the attack. The bombs targeted the Officers' club and the nearby buildings of the Touristic Hotel and the historic "Jouha Café". The hotel received major damage while the café was entirely destroyed. A small building within the Officers' club was ruined as well.

Government troops had killed two more would-be suicide bombers before they could detonate their explosives. Syrian state TV showed the bodies of three men wearing army uniforms at the site of the explosions. One of them appeared to be wearing an explosive belt with a timer tied to his wrist. Later, the al-Qaeda-linked extremist militant group the Al-Nusra Front, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group stated that it was carried out by suicide car bombers, followed by attackers disguised as Syrian Army soldiers. In a rare move the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the bombings as a "terrorist attack".

Elsewhere, rebel fighters attacked a political intelligence branch in Aleppo as well as an old vegetable market where a large number of troops were posted, said the Observatory. Overnight, rebels also reportedly destroyed two tanks in the city. The Syrian army fought battles with rebels in several neighbourhoods of Aleppo, including Saif al-Dawla and Sakhur. It also shelled the Bab al-Nayrab, Salaheddin, Mashhad, Bab al-Nasr and Sakhur districts. The fighting led to the destruction of an army tank and the killing of several army troops.

To avoid and spot snipers, a FSA fighter uses a mirror to see around corners in the Old City in Aleppo

On 5 October, state-run Syrian TV said that government forces "cleansed Sakhour of terrorists and mercenaries." After days of fighting, an AP correspondent said that the rebels lost control of several buildings in Saif al-Dawla, after close-quarter combat.

Meanwhile rebel fighters claimed to have made advances in the strategic district of Salaheddine, claiming that they had taken the square, lost it to the Syrian Army, and then managed to retake the square after a lengthly battle with Syrian troops.

An AFP correspondent reported intense street battles in Arkoub district. The insurgents have occupied health facilities and schools as makeshift bases, the journalist said, adding they move around the area through holes in the walls of buildings. There also were signs of strain from troops in the city, with one officer admitting "the battle for Arkoub is as tough as the struggle for Hanano" last month. One young soldier said he had not returned home once, to Homs, in three months of fighting. The neighborhoods of Bustan al-Qasr, al-Helk and al-Haydariya in the city of Aleppo were bombarded by Syrian army forces. Several rockets also fell on the Qaterji, Sheikh Maqsud and al-Haydariya neighborhoods of Aleppo.

On 6 October, Syrian state television said that four Turks were among a group of foreign fighters that the army had killed in the battleground city of Aleppo. Iranian Press TV claimed that the Syrian army captured the Shakour district, but the Free Syrian army said they repulsed the assault after heavy clashes.

On 9 October 2012, the FSA captured Maarat al-Numaan. The strategic town lies on the Syria's M5 highway, the main supply route used by the Syrian Army to send supplies and reinforcement from Hama and Damascus to Aleppo, a city under fire between the Army and rebel forces.

An AFP correspondent in the city said that the Syrian Air Force was continuously bombing the Bab al-Hadid, Arkub and Shaar neighborhoods. These neighbourhoods surround the besieged Hanano barracks as government forces try to push the rebels back from the barracks located there. Locals have called it the worst fighting since the battle of Aleppo began. The BBC found a cache of ammunition manufactured in Ukraine and addressed to the Saudi Arabian Army in Aleppo. The ammunition was stored in a mosque used by the rebels as a base of operations. Saudi and Qatari have been suspected of supplying ammunition to the rebels but have withheld from supplying heavier weapons, like anti-aircraft missiles, due American concerns about extremists obtaining such equipment.

On 9 October, rebels claimed control of the highly strategic town of Maarrat al-Nu'man, a town on the Aleppo - Damascus highway where many of the Syrian Army's reinforcements were joining the Battle of Aleppo. The seizing of the town was believed to be part of a campaign to isolate the Syrian Army fighting in Aleppo.

On 10 October, rebels launched an attack against the historic Umayyad Mosque (or the Great Mosque of Aleppo) where government forces are based. During four hours of fighting rebels tried to blast holes in the walls of the mosque with RPGs before storming the UNESCO listed site before they were repelled. Leaving rebel snipers to attack the government forces. They had launched an earlier attack against the Mosque on 8 October but government forces in the Citadel spotted them.

The government has bombarded the districts of Haidariyeh, Sukari and Fardoss at dawn, as fierce fighting has broken out in Sakhur, Suleiman al-Halabi and Sheikh Khodr. One hospital in a rebel area of Aleppo admits 100 patients a day with less than 10 doctors. Veterinarians are used in some cases as there are not enough "human doctors".

On 12 October, rebel forces seized an air defense base east of the city, near al-Tana village and the Koris military airport. After the capture, government air-strikes destroyed most of the rockets and radars at the base. By the end of the day, the rebels were preparing to withdraw from the base, fearing more strikes.

On 13 October, a large explosion struck the Air Force Intelligence Directorate office in Aleppo followed by heavy clashes. The Directorate is considered important given Hafez al-Assad's role as commander of the Syrian Air Force in the 1960s. Rebels also broke in the Umayyad Mosque by using an explosive charge to attack government forces stationed there.

To avoid Syrian Army soldiers, FSA fighters in Aleppo use tunnels to travel between buildings

On 14 October, a Aero L-39 Albatros was downed 10 km west of Aleppo by rebels. Government artillery and helicopter rocket attacks on the Shaar neighbourhood killed four and wounded six. The UNSECO listed Great Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo is also reported to have been set on fire after Syrian Army forces withdrew from it the previous day. Rebels have destroyed the southern entrance of the mosque to get a direct access into the internal yard. Later, it was confirmed that the military had recaptured the mosque following a counter-attack. The mosque has sustained the most damage since an earthquake struck in 1822.

A MiG fighter, believed to be a MiG-23, was shot down over Aleppo on 15 October. The pilot was able to eject and was subsequently taken prisoner by rebel forces. Rebel forces have confirmed that they have received a batch of anti-aircraft missiles, such as the SA-7. This has reportedly forced government planes to fly higher, making the bombing of Aleppo less accurate. However, less accurate bombing increases the chances of collateral damage to civilians. Government snipers are making advances for rebels hard and disrupting the daily lives of locals in Aleppo.

On 19 October the al-Nusra Front released a statement claiming that they had carried out an attack on the Hanano army barracks killing 10 government soldiers plus a "machine gunner".

On 21 October, "a suicide car bomber" caused a blast in the New Syriac quarter wounding several people and leaving material damage on the Syrian-French hospital and al-Kalima school. SOHR reported fierce fighting around the ancient Citadel. SANA said clashes occurred in a number of Aleppo's neighbourhoods and it said that the Syrian army inflicted "heavy human and material losses" upon the rebels, specially in Bustan al-Basha area.

22 October, there were clashes in the neighbourhoods of Salaheddin, Izaa, the Old City and Midan. Internet was also restored after being down for a day and a half. Rebels also received their first pay, each receiving $US150 per month however this amount is subject to change, in the future, depending on whether fighters are married or more for those on the front line. For some fighters it is their first pay of any kind in six months. Fighters have to register to get paid, have had to have served for at least two months and must leave a finger print next to their name indicating that they've been paid. Rebels say this money is coming from both domestic and foreign sources. SANA reported clashes in several neighbourhoods, including the Bustan al-Qasser. Syrian Army inflicted "heavy losses" upon the rebels. The Army had also killed Adnan Farroukh, one of the rebels' commanders in Aleppo, SANA said. SOHR said violent clashes were taking place between the Syrian army and rebel fighters in the neighborhoods of al-Itha'a and al-Zabdiya. The neighbourhoods of Aqioul, Bustan al-Qasr, al-Ansari and Bab al-Hadid of Reef Aleppo were bombarded. Rebels in Syria started to receive night vision goggles for the first time allowing their snipers fire at nighttime, government snipers already have this capacity. Their source was identified as a sympathiser from Europe. According to the opposition, the Army shelled a bakery killing 20, including women and children. The breadline was being guarded by rebel forces at the time.

Continued rebel attack, Kurdish-Rebel fighting

On 25 October, some 200 rebels moved into the district of Ashrafiyeh in the Kurdish-controlled area of Sheikh Maqsud. It was the first time that government or rebel forces moved in a substantial way into the Kurdish areas. Previously the area had been regarded as neutral with Kurdish militia clashing with both rebel and army units. The rebel unit responsible is allegedly the Liwa al-Tawhid brigade who reportedly told the locals that We are here to spend Eid with you. Ashrafiyeh is important as a part of the city heights and controls routes between the north and south of Aleppo. Previous rebel attempts to move into the district had been repelled. Rebels were reported to have taken control of the Syriac quarter.

Joshua Landis, a political analyst, said that according to reports he received from Aleppo, the Syrian army had retreated from the Aleppo center, allowing the FSA to take control of the central Christian neighborhoods of Jedida and Qadime. The claims were yet to be verified due to the lack of reporters on the ground. Locals from the Armenian district of Al-Zukur said that the FSA had entered their district leading to clashes with government troops.

An Aide to colonel Riad al-Asaad confirmed the reports of the FSA's recent advances and also claimed the rebels captured the Salaheddine district. The spokesman of the Liwaa al Shabhah brigade said that the FSA had limited the Syrian army to 5 districts.

It was unclear if the rebels had the forces to hold the new areas and there were early indications that the rebels had been forced back out of some areas by late afternoon, with one resident saying that the government forces were fighting fiercely to take the districts back.

One FSA fighter told the Guardian that their main focus was on security branches the Syrian army uses as bases. He said that rebels were in the process of besieging the Midan security branch and stopped Army reinforcements from getting to the police school in the Khan al-Assal district which had been under FSA siege for 10 days. The fighter also said that the Ashrafiya take-over by the rebels was the result of a deal with the PKK.

SANA said that the Army had recaptured the Syrian-French Hospital and reported several clashes stating that the Army had inflicted "heavy losses" upon the rebels. Some rebels believe that the increased talk of a truce from the Syrian government is an effort to stop rebel gains in Aleppo. Specifically using the four days of Eid to reinforce their forces with ammunition and food.

Later, a rebel commander claimed that the FSA were fighting in Arqoub, Siryan, Zahra and Firqan districts and had secured Suleiman al Halabi. Local activists claimed fierce clashes were occurring around the Airport, and that rebels were trying to besiege the Nairab base just south of Aleppo. The center of Aleppo is reported to be in rebel hands with snipers in positions to block any attempt at counter-attacks. The retreat from the city center was seen as either a government trap or signs that the rebel tactic of attacking the government's supply lines was working. Another question was whether the government was prepared to bombard Christian and Kurdish areas, like other rebel-held areas in the past, and risk dragging them into the rebel camp. Rebels who have taken the predominately Christian areas and Jdeidah, where Lawrence of Arabia once stayed, are reporting intimidation by the rebels who fear retaliation from both sides in the conflict. The rebels also claimed to have had encircled the Citadel of Aleppo.

Rebel activists have claimed that Kurdish forces had either reached agreement with rebels to allow their rapid advance or assisted the rebels by simply leaving their checkpoints overnight. One rebel spokesman has even gone as far as to indicate that Kurdish forces may join the Free Syrian Army. "Violent clashes" took place at a checkpoint near al-Malhab military barracks.

Later, it was reported that government tanks moved into Faisal street, the main thoroughfare running the length of the Christian districts of al-Jadide and Qadime, forcing the rebels to make a tactical retreat back into the Kurdish Ashrafiyya district. The tanks positioned themselves at Ashrafiyeh district the next day, leading some to fear the possibility of the district being shelled, although the tanks did not open fire. However, it was reported by Kurdish activists that army Howitzers shelled Ashrafiyya, leaving 15 people dead including 8 Kurds. Two journalists were among the 15 wounded in the attack. Kurdish activists also accused the Syrian Government of shelling Kurdish buses that were coming from Erfin to Aleppo earlier in the month, causing 15 deaths and 19 injuries.

On 26 October, the Syrian authorities accused rebels of breaking the truce that was declared on the same day with beginning of the Eid al-Adha. SANA said that the rebels opened fire at the Army in several places while the Army responded with fire as well inflicting "heavy losses" upon the rebels. Mid-day, rebels tried to overrun a checkpoint near the Mohasab army base in the northeast Seryan district. Meanwhile, AFP reported that the Syrian army was guarding the entrance to the Old City. It was also reported that government troops had pushed back the rebels from the Armenian area of Al-Zukur.

Rebels clashed with Kurdish militias that tried to stop them entering the Sheikh Maqsud neighourhood. 19 rebels and 3-5 Kurdish fighters were killed. One Kurdish leader said that they had "a gentlemen's agreement" with the rebels that they would not enter Kurdish areas and that the rebels had violated it when they entered Ashrafiyeh. According to another report, by activists who organised a Kurdish protest at a PYD militant checkpoint between the Kurdish areas of Ashrafiyeh and al-Sheikh Maqsoud, rebel fighters opened fire on the protesters, leaving eight dead and five wounded. The Kurds warned that this may lead to clashes between Arab and Kurdish fighters in the area. Overall, the PYD stated that 10 Kurds were killed during the clashes, including the three fighters. SOHR put the Kurdish toll at 11, for a total of 30 dead, when including the 19 rebels. 200 people were kidnapped or captured as a result of the fighting. The PYD captured 20 rebel fighters, while the rebels detained 180 Kurds, civilians and fighters, 120 of them near the town of Hayyan. SOHR said that the PYD was still in control of the Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood. A PYD statement published after the fighting blamed both the Syrian army and the FSA for the violence. "We have chosen to remain neutral, and we will not take sides in a war that will only bring suffering and destruction to our country," the statement said. The rebels said that the clashes started after their forces attacked a security compound in Ashrafieh, which was defended by both PKK fighters and government troops. A new report, several days later, put the combatant death toll from the clashes at 30 rebels and 15 PYD fighters.

On 27 October, SANA said that the rebels attacked the water pumping station in Sleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood cutting water from the western part of the city. Rebels have also been accused of kidnapping Lebanese TV journalist Fidaa Itani because his coverage was considered "not suitable" for "the Syrian revolution and revolutionaries". SOHR said clashes are taking place between the Syrian army and rebel fighters that attacked the al-Leirmoun military checkpoint. Clashes are still ongoing in the al-Sayid A'li neighborhood. The neighborhoods of al-Sakhour and al-Sha'ar are subject to bombardment. Rebels released the 120 Kurds that had been kidnapped during recent fighting, although one died shortly after his release due to injuries sustained after being tortured by the rebels.

On 30 October, SANA said that the Syrian army had repelled several rebels' attacks at the military checkpoints and in four neighbourhoods, including the Bustan al-Qasr. Rebels fanning out West of Aleppo were besiging the Zahra air intelligence base and came under fire from the Ramoussa artillery base which they assaulted from the south, a rebel spokesperson claimed the Zahra and Ramoussa bases are crucial for the regimes defenses in the city given their lack of manpower in Aleppo.

In a new round of clashes in the Kurdish areas, rebels opened fire on Kurdish protesters killing three of them.

Lebanese journalist Fidaa Itani has been freed by the rebels and is now in Turkey. One analyst believes that some of the more indiscriminate bombing, by the Syrian Air Force, may be due to its pilots getting creative as they are suffering from 'boredom' stemming from bombing the same targets in Aleppo on a daily basis for several months in a row. The battle for the Zahra air intelligence base is complicated, for both sides, by the possible presence of civilian prisoners in the facility.

On 1 November, al-Sukari was reported by SOHR as being shelled, with clashes reported between the two sides in Zahraa, Aziziye and Jmayle. A bakery was bombed in Aleppo's town of Atareb killing at least 12 people. It is important to Aleppo, and the wider surrounds, because this bakery delivers bread to not only Aleppo but also 40 towns near the city. The government has also bombed three other bakeries in and around Aleppo at Kafar Hamra, Ramoon, Qadi Askar. These bakeries combined were responsible for most of the bread distribution Aleppo city and its outskirts.

On 2 November, SOHR reported the execution of Shah Ali Abdu, also known as Nujin Derik, the Kurdish militia leader for Aleppo, who they previously captured while she was on a mission to return the bodies of rebel fighters that were killed during the clashes between the FSA and the Kurdish militia. She was in command of a unit responsible for protecting the Kurdish districts of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud of Aleppo.. The rumor later proved to be false SANA said that the Syrian army had killed number of rebels and carried out a series of operations in several neighbourhoods, including the Bab al-Hadid. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights also reported that 26 unidentified corpses were found in the neighbourhoods of al-'amriya and Jam'iat al-Muhandisin

On 5 November clashes have occurred at a roundabout in Zahraa district, near the northwest entrance to the city, and on the road to the Aleppo airport, in the southeast of the city. In Zahraa a fire also started in a building close to air force intelligence branch. Clashes were also reported in al-Hamdaniya. . SANA said the Syrian army clashed with rebel fighters at the al-Lermon circle and near the Zaki al-Arsouzi school inflicting "heavy losses" upon the rebels. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent reported that a fire had burnt down its main warehouse in Aleppo destroying supplies such as blankets, medicine and food needed for the upcoming winter. Clashes have been reported near the Aleppo International Airport.

Strategic analysis

Despite the Tawhid Brigade's unprecedented organizational scale and ambition, holding Aleppo City for an extended period of time will be difficult, and the rebels are unlikely to deny regime forces access to the majority of the city's neighborhoods. The government has demonstrated its willingness to employ overwhelming and indiscriminate artillery and aerial bombardment in order to root rebel forces out of contested neighborhoods. A similar narrative may be emerging in the rebel-controlled districts of Aleppo. Rebels holding the Salaheddine and Hanano neighborhoods of the city faced intense bombardment from government air and artillery forces in August, and ultimately withdrew from parts of Salaheddine as a result. If the security forces continue to use these tactics against rebel-held neighborhoods, they will prevent rebels from holding Aleppo City, even if that victory comes at a high cost.

A withdrawal from the city would not be a strategic defeat for Aleppo's armed opposition. The failed government assaults against Azaz in May and July reveal that rebel groups will likely hold the Kilis Corridor despite the government's best efforts. If rebel groups withdraw from Aleppo City, the government will face a province-wide stalemate in which a heavy garrison might hold the provincial capital, but not the countryside. The security forces are likely to continue suffering casualties and defections, while rebel groups will have time and burgeoning numbers on their side. Furthermore, Idlib-based rebel groups capable of disrupting Aleppo's supply lines will significantly raise the logistical cost of resupplying such a garrison. If the government cannot retake the Kilis Corridor, the rebels of northern Aleppo will continue to enjoy the space to organize and uncontested access to the Turkish border, a functioning safe zone.

Reactions

Domestic reaction

• Syria - President Bashar al-Assad said on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the army in August that "the army is engaged in a crucial and heroic battle... on which the destiny of the nation and its people rests..."

Foreign reactions

• France - The French Foreign Ministry said that "With the build-up of heavy weapons around Aleppo, Assad is preparing to carry out a fresh slaughter of his own people", while Italy and the UN peacekeeping chief also accused the government of preparing to massacre civilians.
• Iran - As the battle of Aleppo started, Saeed Jalili, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, met with Assad in Damascus and vowed that Iran would help Assad to confront "attempts at blatant foreign interference" in Syria's internal affairs, declaring that "Iran will not allow the axis of resistance, of which it considers Syria to be an essential part, to be broken in any way."
• Russia - The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated "Our Western partners ... together with some of Syria's neighbours are essentially encouraging, supporting and directing an armed struggle against the regime". He also added that it would be unrealistic to expect Syrian forces not to fight when armed fighters were occupying Aleppo. "How can you hope that in such a situation, the government will simply reconcile itself and say 'All right, I was wrong. Come on and topple me, change the regime'?"

Russian Foreign Ministry issued an official statement condamning the terrorist act that occurred on 9 September 2012 in which more than 30 people were killed. "We firmly condemn the terrorist acts which claim the lives of innocent people", stated the Ministry on 11 September. The Foreign Ministry also called the foreign powers to pressure the armed opposition to halt launching terrorist attacks.

• Turkey - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged international action, saying it was not possible "to remain a spectator" to the government offensive on Aleppo. Reuters reported that Turkey had set up a base with allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar for the purpose of directing military and communications aid to the Free Syrian Army from the city of Adana. Reuters also quoted a Doha-based source which stated that Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were providing weapons and training to the rebel fighters.
• United Kingdom - William Hague, the British Foreign Minister, also said that "the world must speak out to avert a massacre in Aleppo."
• United States - The United States said it feared a new massacre in Aleppo by the government: "This is the concern: that we will see a massacre in Aleppo and that's what the regime appears to be lining up for."