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| Syria conflict: Rebels claim responsibility for 'huge' blast that levelled hotel in Aleppo | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Syrian rebels have claimed responsibility for a huge explosion which destroyed a hotel and several other buildings in the northern city of Aleppo, activists and state media have reported. | Syrian rebels have claimed responsibility for a huge explosion which destroyed a hotel and several other buildings in the northern city of Aleppo, activists and state media have reported. |
| Rebel fighters are believed to have levelled the Carlton Citadel Hotel by detonating a bomb in a tunnel beneath the building. | |
| There were no confirmed details of casualties though state media reported there had been a number of deaths. | There were no confirmed details of casualties though state media reported there had been a number of deaths. |
| The bomb was detonated near to a contested neighborhood in the old part of Aleppo and will be seen as a significant blow to President Bashar Assad's government in the north as his troops prepare to regain control of the central city of Homs following last week's cease-fire agreement. | The bomb was detonated near to a contested neighborhood in the old part of Aleppo and will be seen as a significant blow to President Bashar Assad's government in the north as his troops prepare to regain control of the central city of Homs following last week's cease-fire agreement. |
| The attack came as both sides worked to end a long-standing stalemate in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial hub. The city has been carved up into opposition - and government-held areas since the rebels launched an offensive there in mid-2012, capturing territory along Syria's northern border with Turkey. | The attack came as both sides worked to end a long-standing stalemate in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial hub. The city has been carved up into opposition - and government-held areas since the rebels launched an offensive there in mid-2012, capturing territory along Syria's northern border with Turkey. |
| In recent months, government aircraft has bombed rebel-held areas of the city and the opposition fighters have hit back, firing mortars into government-held areas. The rebels have also detonated car bombs in residential areas, killing dozens of people. | In recent months, government aircraft has bombed rebel-held areas of the city and the opposition fighters have hit back, firing mortars into government-held areas. The rebels have also detonated car bombs in residential areas, killing dozens of people. |
| The hotel attack targeted a government-held area on the edge of a contested neighbourhood in Aleppo. Reports say terrorists - a term the government uses for rebels - dug up tunnels under Aleppo's ancient district and detonated explosives there. | The hotel attack targeted a government-held area on the edge of a contested neighbourhood in Aleppo. Reports say terrorists - a term the government uses for rebels - dug up tunnels under Aleppo's ancient district and detonated explosives there. |
| A local activist group called the Sham News Network also reported the blast, saying that Assad's troops were based in the hotel. | A local activist group called the Sham News Network also reported the blast, saying that Assad's troops were based in the hotel. |
| The Islamic Front rebel group claimed responsibility for the blast. A statement posted on its official Twitter account on Thursday said that its "fighters this morning levelled the Carlton Hotel barracks in Old Aleppo and a number of buildings near it, killing 50 soldiers". It did not say how it knew how many soldiers died. | The Islamic Front rebel group claimed responsibility for the blast. A statement posted on its official Twitter account on Thursday said that its "fighters this morning levelled the Carlton Hotel barracks in Old Aleppo and a number of buildings near it, killing 50 soldiers". It did not say how it knew how many soldiers died. |
| The Islamic Front is an alliance of several Islamic groups fighting to topple Assad. Many of its fighters have joined the Front after breaking away from the Western-backed Syrian Free Army last year. | The Islamic Front is an alliance of several Islamic groups fighting to topple Assad. Many of its fighters have joined the Front after breaking away from the Western-backed Syrian Free Army last year. |
| Another activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Islamic Front fighters planted a huge amount of explosives in a tunnel they dug below the hotel and detonated it remotely. | Another activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Islamic Front fighters planted a huge amount of explosives in a tunnel they dug below the hotel and detonated it remotely. |
| It said the hotel was completely destroyed in the blast and that there were casualties among the troops. | It said the hotel was completely destroyed in the blast and that there were casualties among the troops. |