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| Syrian forces launch push on rebel-held Aleppo | Syrian forces launch push on rebel-held Aleppo |
| (25 days later) | |
| Syrian forces mounted an offensive in central Aleppo on Wednesday, a day after two explosions at a university in the west of the city killed at least 87 students and wounded almost 200 others. | Syrian forces mounted an offensive in central Aleppo on Wednesday, a day after two explosions at a university in the west of the city killed at least 87 students and wounded almost 200 others. |
| The military and opposition units have continued to blame each other for the attack, one of the deadliest single acts of violence in the Syrian civil war. | The military and opposition units have continued to blame each other for the attack, one of the deadliest single acts of violence in the Syrian civil war. |
| Aleppo university is in the north-west of the city, an area firmly controlled by regime forces and the loyalist militia known as the Shabiha. It has been a hotbed of activism throughout the 22 months since the uprising began, with numerous students abandoning their studies and joining the armed push to oust the regime of the president, Bashar al-Assad, which began in March 2011. | Aleppo university is in the north-west of the city, an area firmly controlled by regime forces and the loyalist militia known as the Shabiha. It has been a hotbed of activism throughout the 22 months since the uprising began, with numerous students abandoning their studies and joining the armed push to oust the regime of the president, Bashar al-Assad, which began in March 2011. |
| However, many more have remained and some were sitting exams on Monday at the time of the attack. What caused the blasts has yet to be determined, but suspicion is focusing on rocket fire from the western outskirts, an area mostly held by rebel groups, including the jihadist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra. | However, many more have remained and some were sitting exams on Monday at the time of the attack. What caused the blasts has yet to be determined, but suspicion is focusing on rocket fire from the western outskirts, an area mostly held by rebel groups, including the jihadist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra. |
| Regular rebel units, who maintain a stronghold in eastern Aleppo, vehemently denied involvement in the attack and instead blamed the regime, which they accused of trying to incite residents of the war-ravaged city against them. | Regular rebel units, who maintain a stronghold in eastern Aleppo, vehemently denied involvement in the attack and instead blamed the regime, which they accused of trying to incite residents of the war-ravaged city against them. |
| "This is a standard tactic," said a commander of the Liwa al-Tawheed brigades, a fighting force of around 8,000 men. "We cannot reach that part of the city and if we could we would attack the regime army, not the sons and daughters of Syria's future." | "This is a standard tactic," said a commander of the Liwa al-Tawheed brigades, a fighting force of around 8,000 men. "We cannot reach that part of the city and if we could we would attack the regime army, not the sons and daughters of Syria's future." |
| Although Liwa al-Tawheed is a large unit under the Free Syrian Army umbrella, it does not have control over all rebel units operating near Aleppo. The countryside to the west of the city remains particularly lawless and partly beholden to Jabhat al-Nusra, which is strongly linked to al-Qaida. | Although Liwa al-Tawheed is a large unit under the Free Syrian Army umbrella, it does not have control over all rebel units operating near Aleppo. The countryside to the west of the city remains particularly lawless and partly beholden to Jabhat al-Nusra, which is strongly linked to al-Qaida. |
| A frontrunner in the fight against regime forces in the north, al-Nusra has said it will not target civilian sites. The group seldom comments publicly and has so far not responded to government claims that it launched the Aleppo attack. | A frontrunner in the fight against regime forces in the north, al-Nusra has said it will not target civilian sites. The group seldom comments publicly and has so far not responded to government claims that it launched the Aleppo attack. |
| On Wednesday, the Syrian army was pushing eastwards from a frontline area in the north-centre of the city towards Bustan al-Qasr, claiming it was attacking "terrorists". The frontlines have barely shifted in Aleppo since rebel groups stormed the city in mid-July, with fighting there now at a stalemate. | On Wednesday, the Syrian army was pushing eastwards from a frontline area in the north-centre of the city towards Bustan al-Qasr, claiming it was attacking "terrorists". The frontlines have barely shifted in Aleppo since rebel groups stormed the city in mid-July, with fighting there now at a stalemate. |
| The bitter fight for public opinion has instead become a key battleground, with the regime constantly claiming it is fighting a foreign-backed terrorist conspiracy and opposition groups insisting they are trying to oust a cruel and oppressive regime that has pitched once coexistent sects against each other. | The bitter fight for public opinion has instead become a key battleground, with the regime constantly claiming it is fighting a foreign-backed terrorist conspiracy and opposition groups insisting they are trying to oust a cruel and oppressive regime that has pitched once coexistent sects against each other. |
| After several days of relative quiet, air force jets were raging through the skies over Aleppo from just after midnight on Monday. Explosions caused by bombs dropped from the jets resounded through the city. Shell fire from tanks also intensified as dawn approached. | After several days of relative quiet, air force jets were raging through the skies over Aleppo from just after midnight on Monday. Explosions caused by bombs dropped from the jets resounded through the city. Shell fire from tanks also intensified as dawn approached. |
| The regime's push was dismissed as insignificant by rebel groups in the east, who claimed that the army could no longer achieve its stated objective of ousting the opposition. "Seven months and they haven't moved," said a commander of the Daraa Watan militia. "And that's because they can't. Those people you see back on the streets are there because they feel safer. They know the regime is not coming for them. It's all talk." | The regime's push was dismissed as insignificant by rebel groups in the east, who claimed that the army could no longer achieve its stated objective of ousting the opposition. "Seven months and they haven't moved," said a commander of the Daraa Watan militia. "And that's because they can't. Those people you see back on the streets are there because they feel safer. They know the regime is not coming for them. It's all talk." |
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