The rebels attempting to overthrow the government of Bashir al-Assad took a major hit over the weekend with the death of a major rebel commander.
Abdul Qadir al-Saleh, the leader of the Liwa al-Tawlid, died overnight from wounds sustained in an air strike on a rebel held air base in Aleppo province on Thursday. The group is one of the major rebel forces in Syria with around 10,000 fighters. The group was the leaders of the rebels who took the city of Aleppo from government troops.
The brigade’s intelligence and financial chief died in the same attack.
“As an individual, he was very, very important, certainly in the Aleppo area, but increasingly as an individual that many in Syria felt represented the revolution,” IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre Charles Lister told the AFP news agency. “He came from a humble background, was outwardly religious but was very open… and he maintained extremely good relations with almost all groups of all different natures.”
Observers say it’s likely the rebel group will rally after the death of their leader to launch a major counter-offensive against government forces.
Rebels attempting to overthrow the Syrian government have captured a key airbase near the Turkish border according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The base had been a main target of the rebel forces since last year. Continue reading →
Syrian rebels overran opposition at a base 15 miles west of Aleppo. The assault reportedly had been lead by Islamic militants.
The rebels reportedly gained access to anti-aircraft guns and other military weaponry, giving them a significant advantage in the battle for the largest city in the country. Videos posted online showed rebels taking control of a tank. Continue reading →
In what the BBC described as rebel forces “aiming to cause the biggest psychological as well as physical blow to state presence in” Aleppo, many buildings in the city’s main square were leveled in bomb attacks Wednesday.
At least 33 people were killed in the assault. Continue reading →
Three children from one family are among the eight dead in air strikes in the city of Aleppo, Syria. Activists are reporting that the government is engaging in a bombardment campaign against civilian areas of the city.
The UN has listed the death toll as more than 20,000 in Syria since March 2011. Activists have put the death toll at near 30,000 adding that 40 people died on Monday from government assaults. Continue reading →
Fighting in Syria has killed around 100 people and cut off water to large parts of the city of Aleppo.
In addition, a rocket fired from western Syria crossed the Iraqi border killing a child and wounding others in what the local officials say is one of the worst cross-border incidents since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War. Continue reading →
Syrian government forces used heavy artillery and helicopter attacks on rebel positions to kill 41 people in attacks around Damascus throughout Wednesday. The military also shelled rebel areas of Aleppo but no death tolls have been reported for that city.
The battle in Aleppo has been raging for a month and human rights group Amnesty International have reported that civilians are facing a “horrific level” of violence in the city. Continue reading →
The battles between government forces and the Free Syrian Army are gaining intensity as neighborhoods in the city exchange control multiple times in the same day.
The Salah al-Din part of the city, considered a strategic district by both sides, was reported to be captured by government forces but a later report said the FSA recaptured the area. Continue reading →
The government offensive in Aleppo entered the fourth day with Syria’s state run TV stating the government has inflicted “heavy losses” on what they term as “terrorist groups.” The Free Syrian Army is denying the validity of the claims and the gains that the government has taken back neighborhoods within the city.
Rebels report that helicopter gunships have increased their assaults on the city and that heavy shelling is taking place in areas that contain civilians. Fighting also increased near the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence agency. Continue reading →
Aleppo, the largest city in the country of Syria, has been hit by gunships as fighting in the country’s civil war intensifies, according to BBC reports.
Rebels have launched a major offensive against government forces in the city in an attempt to wrest control of the region. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that territorial gains by the rebels would help to create a “safe haven” for those opposed to the current Syrian regime. Continue reading →