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| Syrian forces gather for Aleppo assault | Syrian forces gather for Aleppo assault |
| (8 days later) | |
| Syria's second city, Aleppo, is braced for a fully-fledged counter-offensive by government forces after another day of artillery and helicopter fire against rebel-held districts. | Syria's second city, Aleppo, is braced for a fully-fledged counter-offensive by government forces after another day of artillery and helicopter fire against rebel-held districts. |
| Syrian special forces had been deployed on the edge of town and more troops were due to arrive for an attack on Friday or Saturday, a state security source told the AFP news agency. Reinforcements of 1,500-2,000 men were said to have arrived to help the 2,000 rebels already in Aleppo. | Syrian special forces had been deployed on the edge of town and more troops were due to arrive for an attack on Friday or Saturday, a state security source told the AFP news agency. Reinforcements of 1,500-2,000 men were said to have arrived to help the 2,000 rebels already in Aleppo. |
| France called for UN action to stop the "bloodbath" in Syria, as the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, warned world powers not to repeat the mistakes they made in Bosnia. "I don't want to see any of my successors after 20 years visiting Syria and apologising for what we could have done now to protect civilians in Syria, which we are not doing," Ban said in Srebenica, scene of the 1995 massacre. | France called for UN action to stop the "bloodbath" in Syria, as the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, warned world powers not to repeat the mistakes they made in Bosnia. "I don't want to see any of my successors after 20 years visiting Syria and apologising for what we could have done now to protect civilians in Syria, which we are not doing," Ban said in Srebenica, scene of the 1995 massacre. |
| In Aleppo, Abu Firas, a spokesman for the city's revolutionary council, said a long column of tanks and armoured vehicles had arrived in the west as artillery and helicopter gunships hit rebel areas. Witnesses said they had counted 80 tanks. | In Aleppo, Abu Firas, a spokesman for the city's revolutionary council, said a long column of tanks and armoured vehicles had arrived in the west as artillery and helicopter gunships hit rebel areas. Witnesses said they had counted 80 tanks. |
| Inside the city the mood was one of tense expectation. "We have a very bad feeling that things are going to turn into a catastrophe very soon with army reinforcements arriving already," one resident told the Guardian. "We have the regime randomly shelling highly populated areas causing many casualties. | Inside the city the mood was one of tense expectation. "We have a very bad feeling that things are going to turn into a catastrophe very soon with army reinforcements arriving already," one resident told the Guardian. "We have the regime randomly shelling highly populated areas causing many casualties. |
| "Hospitals are not coping. There is no bread or fuel. There are many displaced families staying on the streets or in parks, or in makeshift shelters in schools. They are very vulnerable. People are bracing themselves for the worst." | "Hospitals are not coping. There is no bread or fuel. There are many displaced families staying on the streets or in parks, or in makeshift shelters in schools. They are very vulnerable. People are bracing themselves for the worst." |
| Fierce clashes took place between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government forces on the northern and western roads approaching Aleppo. Residents fleeing the fighting said seven families were killed on Tuesday night in the Salaheddin district after their homes near a clinic were destroyed by mortars. One resident who fled to the Turkish border told friends he had decided to go back to Aleppo, explaining: "I need to go back to die in my own home." | Fierce clashes took place between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and government forces on the northern and western roads approaching Aleppo. Residents fleeing the fighting said seven families were killed on Tuesday night in the Salaheddin district after their homes near a clinic were destroyed by mortars. One resident who fled to the Turkish border told friends he had decided to go back to Aleppo, explaining: "I need to go back to die in my own home." |
| Mohammad Issa, a FSA commander, said the tank convoy now in Aleppo had set off from the neighbouring town of Idlib. The regime still controls Idlib but has lost virtually all surrounding areas. The convoy took several days to arrive, with opposition fighters ambushing it en route, he said. | Mohammad Issa, a FSA commander, said the tank convoy now in Aleppo had set off from the neighbouring town of Idlib. The regime still controls Idlib but has lost virtually all surrounding areas. The convoy took several days to arrive, with opposition fighters ambushing it en route, he said. |
| "We attacked them in rural areas. We tried to avoid fighting close to civilian populations," Isaa said, adding that his militia had taken prisoners and accepted several dozen defectors. | "We attacked them in rural areas. We tried to avoid fighting close to civilian populations," Isaa said, adding that his militia had taken prisoners and accepted several dozen defectors. |
| Amir, a rebel supporter in Aleppo, said anti-Assad forces now controlled 40% of the city in a crescent running from east to south. "The FSA came in on Friday and went as far as the areas they thought would be not be hostile to them. The government forces ran away. | Amir, a rebel supporter in Aleppo, said anti-Assad forces now controlled 40% of the city in a crescent running from east to south. "The FSA came in on Friday and went as far as the areas they thought would be not be hostile to them. The government forces ran away. |
| "Aleppo is a complex city. You can see people support the regime, those who are fearful and those who are pro-revolution. The middle and upper classes don't want the rebels to come in. They want everything to be business as usual. No one can can predict what will happen but there is unhappiness that the rebels have brought all this firepower down on Aleppo." | "Aleppo is a complex city. You can see people support the regime, those who are fearful and those who are pro-revolution. The middle and upper classes don't want the rebels to come in. They want everything to be business as usual. No one can can predict what will happen but there is unhappiness that the rebels have brought all this firepower down on Aleppo." |
| Fighting was also reported from Damascus, with firing from tanks and helicopters and continued clashes between defectors and regime forces in al Hajar al-Aswad, one of the last rebel-held districts in the city, and the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. Activists reported at least five civilians killed and 25 injured. Snipers were positioned on rooftops and were taking potshots at anyone moving in the street, one resident said. | Fighting was also reported from Damascus, with firing from tanks and helicopters and continued clashes between defectors and regime forces in al Hajar al-Aswad, one of the last rebel-held districts in the city, and the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. Activists reported at least five civilians killed and 25 injured. Snipers were positioned on rooftops and were taking potshots at anyone moving in the street, one resident said. |
| July is set to be the bloodiest month so far in the Syrian uprising, with death tolls across the country estimated at well over 100 people a day, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Activists say 19,000 have been killed since March 2001. Doctors Without Borders estimated that 120,000 people have fled the country since then. | July is set to be the bloodiest month so far in the Syrian uprising, with death tolls across the country estimated at well over 100 people a day, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Activists say 19,000 have been killed since March 2001. Doctors Without Borders estimated that 120,000 people have fled the country since then. |
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