Battle of Aleppo (2012–13)

Battle of Aleppo معركة حلب
Part of the Syrian civil war
Situation in Aleppo in April 2013      Syrian Army control      Opposition control      PYD control      Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date 19 July 2012 – ongoing (10 months) Location Aleppo, Syria Result Ongoing FSA captures numerous districts in the southern and northeastern parts of the city in late July PYD takes control of two districts in the northern part of the city Syrian Army recaptures several districts in August and September Several opposition offensives repelled by government troops in September and October UNESCO World Heritage Site Ancient City of Aleppo largely destroyed in the fighting Limited clashes between the PYD and the FSA in late October and early November Opposition forces capture two Army bases on the western outskirts in early December In early February 2013, rebels capture the Sheik Said district, cutting off the land supply route between the airport and government forces in the city In early March, government forces reestablish a land supply route between central Syria and Aleppo's airport In April, the Syrian army captured the village of Al-Aziza near the airport In May,the rebels managed to recut the land supply route between central Syria and Aleppo's airport
Belligerents
Syrian National Coalition Free Syrian Army Mujahideen Al-Nusra Front Ahrar al-Sham Fajrul Islam Foreign fighters	Syrian government Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Police Shabiha al-Berri clan Lijan militias	PYD Popular Protection Units
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi (commander-in-chief) Abdullatif Abdullatif (deputy commander) Abdelqadir al-Saleh (Al-Tawhid Brigade) Yusef al-Jader † (Al-Tawhid Brigade) Ebu Mohammed Suleiman (Sultan Abdulhamid Han Brigade) Abu Mohammad (Kata ib-Essalam) Abdulrahman al-Salameh (Al-Nusra Front) Taufik Shiabuddin (Salaheddine district) Qatibat Al Kurdi Abou Amar † (Dera Salah Dine Brigade Commander)	Ali Abdullah Ayyoub (Chief of the General Staff) Mohammed Akkad (Governor of Aleppo) Shoaeb Suleiman (Republican Guard Commander) Suheil Salman Hassan (5th Division Commander) Zaino Berri  † (al-Berri Shabiha leader)	Nujin Derik
Units involved
18 battalions Al-Tawhid 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 Kata ib-Essalam	3rd Army Corps (Aleppo) 5th Armoured Division 6th Armoured Division 46th Army Regiment 80th Army Brigade Republican Guard	Unknown
Strength
15,000 fighters 2,500 Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham fighters (opposition claims) 6,000–8,000 fighters (government claims)	20,000 troops mobilised (3,000 engaged) (government claims) 1,500 Shabiha 100 tanks and 400 armored personnel carriers (opposition claims)	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Opposition claims: 1,700 killed Government claims: 2,580+ killed	Opposition claims: 1,700 killed, 120–180 captured '	~40 killed 120 captured by FSA (later released)
3,400-5,080 civilians killed 10,800+ overall deaths
Aleppo within Syria

The Battle of Aleppo (Arabic: معركة حلب‎) 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 combat has led to combatants calling it "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-Tawhid Brigade. The most prominent rebel group fighting in Aleppo is the Free Syrian Army, an organisation largely composed of army defectors. 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. On 19 November, the Islamist fighters in Aleppo rejected the newly-formed Syrian National Coalition. Most notable of those are the largest FSA al-Tawhid Brigade and the al-Nusra Front. The next day, however, the rebels retracted their rejection.

Looting for supplies became a common occurrence among the rebel fighters by December, switching their loyalties between groups who had more to share. This new approach led to incidents such to the killing of at least one rebel commander following a dispute, the loss of one frontline position due to fighters retreating with their loots and the failure of an attack on a Kurdish neighbourhood. One rebel commander told that the situation was getting worse and that others commanders were thieves The loss of popular support for the rebels was another effect of the widespread looting.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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 to 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

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, the rebel offensive began to stall as fighting and shelling continued in several districts across Aleppo. 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, a rebel commander was killed in Salahaddine as fighting continued in the district. 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. 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.

On 7 August, the ancient citadel in the center of the city, manned by government troops, was under siege, with rebels controlling the ground on at least two sides of the citadel. 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.

The Syrian Army encircled rebels fighters in Salahaddine from two sides, as military armored units inched forward through Salahaddine from the southwest. 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.

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

Bombed out vehicles after street fighting.

On 12 August, Syrian Army tanks advanced to the roundabout in Salaheddin which was defended by 150 rebels. During the day, the rebels attacked petrol station in Salaheddine, 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.

On 13 August, following the capture of the Salaheddine district several days before, the Syrian Army launched an attack and advanced into the western portion of the Saif al-Dawla district. 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 rebels shooting down a MiG-23BN fighter jet, and of several executions of prisoners in and around Aleppo by rebel forces. Opposition activists claimed that rebels had nothing to do with the killings.

On 15 August, rebels reported that they captured Bab al-Nasr and surrounding area, forcing soldiers to retreat to the city centre.

On 17 August, SANA said that a number of the rebel's leaders were killed in an 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.

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, 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 20 August, 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, according to a security official. He also said reinforcements for both sides were heading to Aleppo.

Clashes in the Christian districts

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 potential 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.

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 25 August, SANA claimed that a rebel commander Mohammad Yaser Karandal was also killed in the Saif al Dawla neighborhood.

Rebels in Mashad neighbourhood tried to stop the government tanks, located in Saif al-Dawla, from advancing. 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.

The oppositon group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Syrian Army was trying to take control of the Isaa district while state TV claimed the district was captured from rebels.

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. 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. SANA also reported that the Army had clashed with rebels coming from Andan, Hayan and Bab Qara in the northern countryside of the province. 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, and 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. 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 for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the fighting happened in the Sukari, Hanano and Bustan Al Qasr.

On 3 September, a Syrian general said that the Army was in control of the upper area of Saif al-Dawla and that they were trying to expand their control over the whole district. AFP reporters visited Salaheddine and confirmed that it was under effective control of the Syrian Army. 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. 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.

On 8 September, 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.

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, 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. 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 and injured six.

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.

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.

The SOHR reported shelling attacks on the Aleppo neighbourhoods of Haidariyeh, Hanano, Meyseer and Sha'ar overnight. 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. The Army confiscated 38,000 litres of oil that was supposed to be smuggled out near al-Barkoum Bridge.

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.

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. The LCC reported that the Syrian army also used a heavy barrage of artillery against the Fardos 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. 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.

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.

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. Beside fightings in al-Midan neighbourhood, SANA reported that the Army had clashed with rebels in al-Firdous and Midan districts.

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. 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.

Continued clashes

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

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.

The rebels in Aleppo, due to a lack of foreign supplies, were resorting to manufacturing their own weapons. 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."

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.

On 22 September, SANA 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.

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.

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 Tawhid 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 Tawhid 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 Tawhid 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 outlets 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.

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 described the current situation as 'boring' with the battle becoming yet another stalemate. Rebels blamed 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, 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. The next day, 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 into 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 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.

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, 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.

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.

SANA reported clashes in several neighbourhoods on October 22, 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.

October rebel offensive, 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 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. 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. 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. The battle for the Zahra air intelligence base is complicated, for both sides, by the possible presence of civilian prisoners in the facility.

Rebel capture of bases and fighting in West

See also: Siege of Base 46

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 its environs 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.

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. 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.

On 11 November, clashes between rebel and government forces were reported in the neighborhoods of Zahraa, Liramun and the Old City involving government tanks firing at rebel positions. The rebel areas of Shaar, Sukari and Halab al-Jadida of the city were attacked by the government forces with mortar rounds according to the SOHR. SANA claimed that the Syrian army took Al-Sheikh Saeed Area from rebels. During the day, the Syiran Army had pounded rebel positions in the northern part of the city. The Kurdish militant leader Nujin Derik has been reported alive and well. Further clashes have been reported near the Air Force Intelligence HQ and the Bustan Al-Qasr district. Rebels began using 'barrel bombs' the same type as those dropped on rebel held areas by the Syrian Air Force in an attack on an army position in Karem Jabal district. They were rolled through the sewers underneath the guard post before being detonated.

On 14 November, SANA said that clashes continued in al-Layramon where the Syrian Army killed "tens" of rebels. SANA said other clashes occurred in al-Sha'ar and al-Sukkari neighbourhoods.

On 15 November, rebels captured the Avto-machine Building, fighting is also occurring around the perimeter of the Traffic Branch.

On 16 November, fierce clashes and bombardments took place in the Liramun neighbourhood, with two rebels killed. Clashes have also occurred in the Itha’a district, near the Syrian French Hospital and the Military Hospital in Shahbaa neighborhood.

On 17 November, a car bomb exploded in Liramun. The Syrian Army and the rebels continue to fight in the north-western part of the city. Rebels attacked the agricultural school in Aleppo that is used as an army barracks, and also clashed with the 46th Regiment of the 15th Division. A shell landed on a bus in Al-Haydariya neighbourhood.

On 18 November, rebels stormed the home base of the 46th Regiment in nearby Urum al-Sughra, securing the base the following day in a key strategic victory following a two-month siege. The fall of Base 46 has further isolated government troops fighting in Aleppo as well as in Idlib Province while simultaneously providing the rebels with secure supply routes from the Turkish border and much-needed ammunition and heavy weaponry. The nearby army base at Sheikh Suleiman remained in government hands, though rebel forces had stepped up their attacks on it in the aftermath of Base 46's capture.

On 22 November, a building next to a major Aleppo hospital was targeted by an airstrike that killed at least 15 people according to the SOHR, including at least 11 rebels, a doctor and three children. The Dar al-Shifa hospital was a private clinic before it was turned into a field hospital by opposition forces. It has been targeted at least six times in recent months, mainly affecting the upper floors of the seven story high building. Only 400-500 yards from the front line it is in a heavily shelled area and one of the few remaining medical clinics for residents in Aleppo.

On 24 November, SOHR said that clashes broke out between the rebels and the Syrian army at the Air Force Intelligence building near Shekhan square and Bani Zid neighbourhood. Clashes also took place near the army school of infantry.

On 26 November, clashes were reported in the Suliman Halabi neighbour and the Sakhour Roundabout. Rebels also now claim to control most of the roads to Aleppo, leaving the Damascus-Aleppo highway as the only supply route to government forces in the city.

On 27 November, rebels shot down a Syrian military helicopter on the outskirts of Aleppo using a surface-to-air missile.

On 28 November, the situation in the city's centre was calm with shootings and explosions being heard in the Armenian New Village neighbourhood.

On 29 November, the clashes between the Syrian Army and the rebels broke out in Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood.

It was reported in December that the Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood had been shelled, while the clashes were ongoing on the road of Aleppo airport. On 3 December, clashes were also reported in Midan and the nearby Suleiman al-Halabi districts, while government forces shelled several villages near the Ground Forces Academy. Activists reported that five bodies had been found in al-Soufayra. However, fierce combat soon broke out within Bustan al-Basha district, held by the Islamist al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham groups, according to a military source. The Syrian Army advanced from Midan, taking control of the main avenue and reaching Zahi Hospital in Halak neighbourhood. Islamists continued to hold the side streets of the district, and fighting was ongoing.

On 5 December, Morocco's honorary consul, Mohamed Alae Eddinne, and another man were killed by a group of armed men when Eddinne tried to leave a hotel in Aleppo.

Sheikh Suleiman base was overrun by opposition forces on 10 December. A hundred Syrian Army soldiers who were left inside the base retreated to the scientific building wearing gas masks. Al-Nusra Front led the attack with only one FSA group taking part, one FSA commander said. Many of the fighters were from Central Asia with the rebel commander coming from Uzbekistan.

On 10 December, the SOHR said that the rebel-held Sakhur district in the east came under shelling overnight.

On 15 December, Colonel Yusef al-Jader, a defected army officer and top rebel commander for the Tawhid Brigade, was killed in action during an assault on the military academy located near Muslimiyeh, just north of Aleppo. Al-Jader, also known as Abu Furat, was said to be suspicious of the growing jihadist presence in the war and sought to "keep Jabhat al-Nusra at bay". SOHR reported that rebels had captured large parts of academy, while elite Republican Guard troops were deployed by helicopter into the base in an effort to counterattack. Opposition forces were reportedly able to eventually take control of the entire academy, a campus of around 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi). At least 24 rebels and 20 government soldiers were killed in the fighting. The remaining government troops withdrew from the base and regrouped near the prison at Muslimiyeh and the al-Kindi Hospital in the Palestinian refugee neighbourhood of Handarat, which had been recaptured from the rebels on 14 December. However, they remained encircled by opposition forces.

Fighting in Aleppo has seen bread rise from $0.35 (USD) to $3 for a bag of 8 loaves. On 16 December, it was reported that al-Tawheed Brigade fighters took control of Hanano Barracks, which includes an army base, a recruiting center and a military school.

Aleppo Perimeter battles

Beginning in late 2012, fighting intensified around airports in and around Aleppo. The al-Nusra Front unilaterally declared a no-fly zone over Aleppo in December and threatened to shoot down commercial aircraft, alleging that the government was using civilian aircraft to transport loyalist troops and miltiary supplies. After multiple attacks on the Aleppo International Airport, all flights in and out were suspended on 1 January 2013. Rebels attacked loyalist troops at the perimeter of Aleppo International Airport, besieging the nearby military Brigade 80 in an attempt to push through to the airport itself. By mid-February at least 150 people had died in fighting around Aleppo's airport.

Rebel troops also attacked Menagh air base to the north of Aleppo. On 30 December government planes bombed rebel positions around it after the rebels entered the perimeter. It was confirmed on 14 January that rebels had totally surrounded the base. Rebel troops stormed the Menagh air base on 9 February, prompting retaliatory government airstrikes on rebels inside. On 11 February, rebels stormed and took control of the Jirah airbase, killing or capturing 40 soldiers. It was reported that rebels were in control of some operational Czech-built L-39 jets.

The rebel offensive on the Old City of Aleppo continued in early 2013. On 12 January, SANA claimed that army units have secured the areas surrounding the historic Umayyad Mosque, the Citadel, and the Justice Palace near the Old City. However, by late February rebels had re-captured the mosque after days of heavy fighting, as government forces retreated to nearby buildings. Clashes continued afterward around the mosque.

On 15 January twin blasts occurred in University of Aleppo during the first day of mid-term exams, killing at least 87 and wounding more than 150 people, among them students and civilians. The University dormitories are used by people, who fled from combat neighbourhoods, as a shelter. Activists blamed government warplanes while the government blamed "terrorists". The Syrian government representative to the UN stated that 162 had been wounded. In the wake of the bombing the Russian consulate in Aleppo has been temporary closed.

Belgian-born French journalist Yves Debay was killed during fighting on 18 January. Syrian State Media reported that rebels fired rockets at a building in the government controlled Muhafaza Sakaniya neighbourhood, a claim which rebels denied.

On 22 February rebels alleged that three "Scud-type missiles" landed in the Hamra, Tariq al Bab, and Hanano neighbourhoods of Aleppo with 29 confirmed dead and 150 wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) later updated the toll, alleging that the Scud missile strikes left 58 dead, including 35 children.

On 29 January, the bodies of approximately 110 men and boys, most with bound hands and shot in the head were found on the banks of the Queiq River in the western district of Bustan al-Qasr, controlled by rebels. The victims were believed to have been detained, executed, and dumped by government forces into the river over a period of several weeks. The bodies floated downstream from a government held portion of the river into a rebel held portion in the Bustan al-Qasr district. The bodies only became apparent when the winter high waters resided in late January. In February, a grate was placed over the river in rebel held territory to help catch other bodies floating down. Between February and mid-March, more than 80 additional bodies were dragged from the river. An average of several bodies every day. The continual appearance of these bodies has led the Queiq River to be referred to as "The River of Martyrs" by locals.

On 31 January, government warplanes bombed the Kurdish neighbourhood of Ashrafiyeh, controlled by the Popular Protection Units (YPG), killing at least twenty civilians and injuring 40. The neighbouring Kurdish neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud was also reportedly shelled. Several days prior, on 28 January, a government tank reportedly fired a shell into the Kurdish sector of the city, killing one child and wounding two women.

In early January, rebels begin to attack and place under siege the strategic Police Academy in Khan al-Assal on the Western outskirts of Aleppo, which was being used by the government to shell nearby areas. On February 24, rebels used captured tanks to breach the walls and storm the Police Academy. Rebel took control of several buildings within the academy, however fierce clashes reportedly continued after the academy was stormed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated on March 3 that 120 soldiers and 80 rebels were killed in the previous week of fighting for this location. On March 4, the rebels fully took over the police academy. It is reported by rebels and activists that about 45 of the government soldiers were killed, possibly executed, by rebels after they stormed the academy.

On 2 February, residents of the Sheikh Saeed district confirmed that rebels had fully taken control of the district after the Syrian Army withdrew, allowing the rebels to secure a key route to Aleppo International Airport. Sheikh Said is the last land route between Aleppo and Nayrab airport. Many of the neighbourhood's residents, who were largely loyal to the government, fled when the army retreated.

On 1 March, government forces retook the village of Tel Shghaib, located southeast of Aleppo. The following day, loyalist forces seized a road to the besieged airport, creating a new supply route for government forces advancing from Hama province.

On 15 March, rebels seized control of an ammunition factory complex and munitions depots in the town of Khan Tuman, southwest of Aleppo. The complex had been used to supply the Syrian army with munitions to regularly shell rebel positions in the surrounding area.

Rumors emerged that gas was fired into Khan al-Assal on 19 March, southwest of Aleppo, was a chemical weapon. If true, it would be the first use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War. The gas used was described as having a chlorine-like smell. Both the government and rebels claim that a missile or rocket was used to deliver the agent. The Syrian Information Minister blamed the rebels for the attack, while the rebels blamed the government. British scientists at Porton Down later suggested that the gas was not a chemical weapon, but instead "super-strength tear gas".

On the night of 29 March, the opposition Aleppo Media Center claimed that rebel forces had captured the whole Sheik Maqsoud district, in the north of the city, which was previously held by both government and Kurdish forces. However, SOHR stated that rebel forces in fact managed to advance into the district, capturing only the eastern part of the neighborhood. SOHR also reported that heavy fighting was still ongoing in Sheik Maqsoud. It was also confirmed that, during their advance, rebels captured the top pro-government Sunni cleric in the district, Hassan Seifeddine, and killed him. The Pro-government Al-Ikhbariya TV and SANA state news stated he was beheaded and his head was placed on the minaret of the Al-Hassan Mosque. However, the reports of his mutilation could not be confirmed, What was confirmed by SOHR is that his body had been dragged and paraded in the neighborhood.

On 31 March, government troops started a counter-attack, in an attempt to re-take territory lost in Sheik Maqsoud during the previous two days. Fighting was concentrated by the Awarded bridge and in the area between eastern Sheikh Maqsoud and the Bustan al-Basha neighborhood. Since the rebel attack on the district started, 43 people had been killed, including 15 civilians, 19 government soldiers and militiamen and 9 rebels.

It was claimed by YPG fighters in Sheik Maqsoud that following a long discussion within the group, the (mostly Kurdish) YPG decided to end their neutrality in Aleppo and switch to rebel forces, allowing and cooperating with the FSA in their advance through the district where several pro-government militias and intelligence officers were located. However, a day later, a YPG political representative denied the claim and stated that the Kurds had not aligned themselves with the Arab rebels, instead that Kurdish forces engaged in conflict with government troops after the Army attempted to reach Arab parts of the district, which had been captured by the opposition forces, via the Kurdish areas.

According to the YPG, as a result of these clashes, which also included artillery shelling of the district, 15 Syrian soldiers and 1 YPG fighter, Zekeriya Xelîl, who was also member of the YPG military council, were killed.

On 2 April, clashes erupted in the strategic village of Aziza, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo, from which rebels were launching attacks against the Aleppo international airport and the military air base next to it. By 6 April, the military had captured the village, pushing out the rebels to the outskirts where fighting continued. Around 35 people were killed in the fighting, including at least 18 civilians and 5 rebels. The capture of the village was seen as a strategic victory for the military because it would allow the Army to protect its supply convoys traveling the highway to its bases at the airport and have a strategic spot from which they could shell rebel positions in the surrounding area.

On 8 April, SOHR reported rebel reinforcements arrived to Aziza and clashed with the Syrian army.

The same day that the Army attack on Aziza started, rebels launched an assault on the al-Kindi hospital at the northern entrance to the city. The hospital had been under military control since December 2012. By mid-April, fighting for the hospital was still ongoing after the rebels repeatedly failed to capture it, with parts of the hospital destroyed in the clashes. 80 government soldiers and 65 rebels were killed by that point in the battle.

On 13 April nerve gas was reported as being used in the majority Kurdish Sheikh Maqsood area of Aleppo. An anonymous doctor reported that the attack had the signs of nerve gas leaving three dead and a dozen wounded. 1,500 doses of atropine were used with a further 2,000 being sent in by aid agencies. Atropine is a recognised antidote to nerve gases.

On 15 April, rebels had reportedly gained full control of the northern entrance to Aleppo, as well as a factory and a weapons storage facility.

On 16 April the first truce in Aleppo was declared. The temporary truce allowed Red Crescent workers to remove 31 decomposing bodies killed during months of fighting in the poor al-Sakhour district located in northern Aleppo. Three of the dead were found with tied hands and four were badly burnt.

On 22 April two Syrian Christian Orthodox Bishops were kidnapped on their return to Aleppo after completing humanitarian work. State media is blaming the rebels while the rebels state that "all probabilities are open."

On April 23, rebels took control of a key position in the strategic Mennagh Military airbase on the outskirts of Aleppo, allowing them to enter the airbase after months of besieging it.

On April 24, the 11th century minaret of the rebel-held Great Mosque of Aleppo was destroyed during clashes between rebels and the Syrian Army. Rebels claim that the Syrian army destroyed the minaret with tank fire to prevent it becoming a sniper position, while the government claims that it was destroyed by the rebel Al-Nusra Front.

On 4 May, the Siege of Menagh Air Base continued and there were reports that rebels had made further advances into the base. It was claimed that rebels had killed the base commander in clashes, and also seized the second military detachment of the base. Rebels claimed that a group of pilots defected and assassinated the base's commanding officer. The defected pilots told rebels that around 200 soldiers remained in the base, garrisoned in the headquarters building supported by a handful of tanks. Many soldiers resorted to sleeping under tanks, fearing a rebel assault.

On 9 May, it was reported that, although they managed to capture parts of the Mannagh Military airport, rebel forces were forced to retreat from the air base due to heavy air strikes. Clashes took place by the Malki village checkpoint, near the Aleppo civilian airport, reports of regime losses.

On 10 May, SOHR reported that rebel fighters managed to cut off the strategic road to Halab al-Jadida, that was the main supply line for the Syrian army between Hama and Aleppo. This has yet to be confirmed by independent sources.

On 15 May, rebel forces assaulted the main prison in central Aleppo where some 4,000 inmates are being held. These include both common and political prisoners. The attack was initiated by twin car bombs at the entrance to the prison. Rebels were able to secure one compound which housed government forces, however the attack became bogged down due to the intervention of Syrian tanks and Air Force. No prisoners were freed.

On 16 May, rebels were forced to retreat from the prison when soldiers began throwing inmates bodies out of the windows. It was reported that rebel fighters took control of a building inside the prison after blowing up the main gate. Rebel fighters continued to hit the facility with rockets late into the night.

In early May clashes started between rebel groups Ghuraba al-Sham and groups operating under Judicial Committee alliance. The later accused Ghuraba al-Sham, which is in alliance with Jabhat al-Nusra, of going rogue and looting of factories. According to various rebel report Jabhat al-Nusra force in the Aleppo started weakening after its announcement in which Nusra leader al-Jolani pledged loyalty to Al-Queda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. While before announcements rebel fighters of various brigades were leaving for Jabhat al-Nusra, after in one day about 120 defected back to al-Tawheed brigade among others. Several rebel officials also commented on their disappearance from much of Aleppo.

Strategic analysis

Rebel forces have expanded out to the country side south of Aleppo, and now control sections of the M4 and M5 highway, effectively blocking any new ground reinforcements for the Syrian Army. Before the end of 2012, the Syrian army in Aleppo was receiving sporadic supplies and ammo replenishment by Air or dangerous back roads. The fall of Base 46, a large complex in the area which reinforced and supplied regime troops has been seen by experts as “a tactical turning point that may lead to a strategic shift" in the battle for Aleppo. In a recent intelligence report, Stratfor described the strategic position of regime forces in Aleppo as "dire", with the Free Syrian Army having them "essentially surrounded".

On 26 November 2012 rebels captured Tishrin Dam, further isolating regime forces in Aleppo with only one uncovered route into Aleppo remaining. By late January 2013 Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil admitted that all supply routes to Aleppo had been cut off by opposition forces, comparing the situation to the Siege of Leningrad. By late February 2013, the Aleppo international airport was almost totally surrounded by rebel forces. Later, the Syrian army regained control of the strategic Tel Sheigeb town allowing them to approach the airport.

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

• Armenia - Armenia is sending humanitarian aid to Aleppo since mid-October. The aid is distributed by the Red Crescent of Aleppo, the Armenian National Prelacy in Aleppo, Aleppo Emergency unit and the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to Syria. Governor of the Aleppo Governorate, Hilal Hial, said that "the Syrian people highly appreciate this humanitarian gesture of the Armenian people, underling the strong Syrian-Armenian cooperation."
• 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 -Russian Foreign Ministry issued an official statement condemning the bombing 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". The Russian Consulate General in Aleppo "suspended operations" on January 16, 2013.
• 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." The United States condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the government SCUD missile strikes on Aleppo in late February, saying that they were "the latest demonstrations of the Syrian regime's ruthlessness and its lack of compassion for the Syrian people it claims to represent".