SYRIA: Video obtained by Reuters shows rebels fighting the Syrian army in the country's northern Aleppo province

Record ID: 280823

  • Title: SYRIA: Video obtained by Reuters shows rebels fighting the Syrian army in the country's northern Aleppo province
  • Date: 1st June 2012
  • Summary: ATAREB, ALEPPO PROVINCE, SYRIA (MAY 30, 2012) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VIEW OVER ATAREB ROOFTOPS SMOKE RISINIG, AUDIO OF GUNSHOTS ARMED REBELS SITTING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RESTING ARMED REBELS WALKING IN STREET VARIOUS MORE OF ARMED REBELS, SOME HOLDING GRENADE LAUNCHERS, AUDIO OF GUNSHOTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED REBEL COMMANDER, SAYING: "The army t
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABMQWICCWPAETXUL4VC961IZM2
  • Story Text: Fighting between government forces and rebels continued in Syria's northern town of Atareb on Wednesday (May 30).
    Video obtained by Reuters captured smoke rising from the town and the sound of gunshots, while rebels were taking positions.
    An unnamed rebel commander said the Syrian army tried to flush out rebels from the town in Aleppo province, 18 kilometers (11 miles) east of the Turkish border.
    "The army today tried to enter the town with 20 tanks, 10 pick-ups packed with shabbiha and three busses [full of people] to burn Atareb and destroy it because residents called for a free Syria. Down with al-Assad," the commander said.
    Atareb is located on the road to the main crossing point with Turkey and is also 35 kilometers from the city of Aleppo, Syria's commercial and industrial hub.
    Opposition sources said earlier in the week that 20 soldiers, six civilians and six rebels had been killed in heavy fighting close to the border with Turkey on Monday and Tuesday (June 28-29). They said the fighting began when the army launched an offensive with tanks and helicopters to retake the region around Atareb.
    Meanwhile, U.N. observers visited Aleppo province and spoke to residents in the town of Babto. Locals showed them the scale of destruction in their town.
    Syrian rebels on Wednesday gave President Bashar al-Assad a 48-hour deadline to comply with an international peace plan otherwise they would renew their battle to overthrow him. The deadlineFriday (June 1) at 1200 Damascus time (0900gmt).
    International mediator Kofi Annan is continuing his diplomatic mission in the region to salvage a seven-week-old ceasefire plan which never took hold.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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