Battle for Aleppo enters third week as Syrian rebels hold on
Syrian rebel forces are believed to be far outgunned by the Army, but they've so far held off regime efforts to overrun the city.
Syrian rebel forces are believed to be far outgunned by the Army, but they've so far held off regime efforts to overrun the city.
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Syrian rebels gained ground today near Aleppo when they turned a captured tank against a Syrian Army airbase. As fighting nears the end of its second week in Syria鈥檚 largest city, this increase in rebel artillery could raise morale for a group that is believed to be far outgunned by military forces.
鈥淲e hit the airport using a tank that we captured from the Assad army. We attacked the airport a few times but we have decided to retreat at this time," Abu Ali, a rebel fighter, told Reuters.
The United Nations observer mission in Syria says it is concerned about escalating violence in Aleppo, citing the use of jets by President Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 regime and the addition of heavier weaponry to the rebels鈥� cache. Earlier this week NBC News reported that the Free Syrian Army rebel forces acquired nearly 25 surface-to-air missiles via Turkey.聽
鈥淭he last 72 hours saw a significant increase in the level of violence,鈥� said Sausan Ghosheh, UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) spokesman in Damascus.聽
Reuters reports that the rebels say they have taken control of three police stations this week as they try to consolidate their hold on key areas of Aleppo. They have been met by heavily armed government forces who are working to drive the rebels out of the city. Yesterday a statement by President Assad said the battle for Aleppo will determine the 鈥渄estiny of our Homeland.鈥�
Cell phone service was reportedly cut off yesterday evening, prompting speculation that the military is planning to ratchet up its offensive. But it could also be an effort to hinder one of the rebels' less traditional strategies for victory: winning the media war.
The Monitor鈥檚 Scott Peterson was in Aleppo earlier in the week, where he observed the important role mobile phones and cameras are playing in the Syrian conflict.
Civilians are increasingly caught in the middle of the fighting, Ms. Ghosheh of the UN observer mission said. Nearly 200,000 people are believed to have fled Aleppo since fighting began July 20. According to the UN, 3 million Syrians are in need of food aid, and half of them will need 鈥渦rgent and immediate鈥� assistance in the next three to six months.
Spikes in violence lead to spikes in refugees, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UN and partner organizations have increased their calls for international humanitarian aid as the conflict has fallen deeper into civil war, but they have only been able to raise $64 million in international support 鈥� 33 percent of their target goal, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.聽
And while most attention is on Aleppo, where the largest battle is raging, violence continues elsewhere. Government troops swept through a Damascus suburb yesterday, reportedly targeting unarmed civilians. 聽
According to Reuters:
Tomorrow, the fighting in Aleppo will enter its third week, and some are saying now is the time to intervene. The Wall Street Journal writes in an editorial that Assad seems unlikely to fall from power anytime soon聽and is聽trying to win at any cost. Now is the time to do more than wait, WSJ writes:
But there are others who say the moment has passed, and that it鈥檚 too late to intervene in Syria. Foreign Policy鈥檚 Aaron David Miller writes: