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Syria conflict: 'Massive rebel assault' to take Aleppo Syria military resists major rebel assault in Aleppo
(about 14 hours later)
Syrian rebels led by Islamist groups have begun a massive assault that aims to take full control of the northern city of Aleppo, monitors report. The Syrian military has carried out a series of air strikes after rebel forces launched a major assault to take control of the northern city of Aleppo.
Rebels fired hundreds of rockets and missiles into government-held areas in a multi-district attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels fired hundreds of rockets and shells into at least seven government-held areas late on Thursday.
It said the Syrian military had returned fire and launched air raids. By Friday morning, they had made small advances, the monitoring group added.
Analysts say the fall of Syria's second city would be a major setback for President Bashar al-Assad. But the Syrian state news agency Sana said the assault had been repelled and more than 100 "terrorists" killed.
The UK-based Observatory said that four civilians had been killed and more than 70 wounded in the rebel offensive, while five rebel fighters were killed in clashes with government forces in western Aleppo. Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, has been divided roughly in half between government-held areas in the west and rebel-controlled eastern quarters for the past three years.
Rebel alliance Fighting on the ground and government air strikes have left thousands dead, and destroyed more than 60% of the Old City, a Unesco World Heritage site.
A statement by the rebel groups said their goal was to "liberate the city of Aleppo" and to ensure it would be ruled by Sharia principles. But in recent months, the rebels have driven government forces out of several areas in the countryside to the north, as well as almost all of the neighbouring province of Idlib.
A new alliance of rebel groups called Ansar Sharia is reportedly behind the assault on Aleppo. It includes the jihadist al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. More than 230,000 people are believed to have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. Some 11.5 million others - more than half of the country's population - have fled their homes.
Control of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the country's industrial and financial centre, has been divided between government and rebel forces since shortly after fighting began in Syria in 2012. 'Heavy casualties'
The government largely controls the west of the city, while different rebel factions are present in the east. Rebels have made numerous attempts to seize key installations held by the government, but with little effect, reports the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.
More than 230,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began in March 2011. On Thursday, 13 Islamist fighting groups and al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, came together to launch a co-ordinated assault on several fronts, with the declared aim of "liberating" the city and imposing Islamic law.
Fighters later fired mortars and rockets at western districts of the city controlled by government forces, the Syrian Observatory reported.
The UK-based group said the fighting continued into the early hours of Friday and was focused on the frontline in Jamiyat al-Zahra, a heavily-defended area that houses several major security compounds.
At least nine people were killed and dozens wounded by the rebel barrage, it added.
The military responded with a heavy aerial and artillery bombardment of rebel positions in the city, and the fighting continued for several hours.
On Friday morning, military sources told Sana and Reuters news agency that the assault had been repelled and that heavy casualties had been inflicted on the rebels.
The Syrian Observatory said the rebels had managed to seize some buildings in the north-western outskirts of Aleppo, but that the gains were not of strategic importance.
Our correspondent says that if the rebels do manage to capture all Aleppo, it would be a huge blow to the government.
There have been persistent reports in recent weeks that it is preparing to give up both the northern city, and Deraa in the south, the better to defend the core areas of western Syria with the limited manpower at its disposal, he adds.
But state media reported that the prime minister has just been in Aleppo, visiting front-line units and dispensing large amounts of cash to the city authorities for reconstruction and administrative expenses.