Army begins Aleppo assault

The Syrian army launched a massive assault on rebels in Aleppo on Saturday, amid growing world concern about the risks of reprisals against the civilian population of the country's second city.

The Syrian army launched a massive assault on rebels in Aleppo on Saturday, amid growing world concern about the risks of reprisals against the civilian population of the country's second city.

HT Image

Troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, which had been massing for the past two days, moved on southwestern districts of the commercial hub, where rebel fighters concentrated their forces when they seized much of the northern city on July 20.

Artillery pounded Salaheddin and other rebel neighbourhoods from 8am as ground troops made their advance.

The opposition fighters had been holding their fire in readiness for the assault but their small arms were little match for the heavy armour of the forces.