SYRIA: Video obtained by Reuters shows Syrian rebel troops storming Taftanaz military airbase in the northern province of Idlib.

Record ID: 281557

  • Title: SYRIA: Video obtained by Reuters shows Syrian rebel troops storming Taftanaz military airbase in the northern province of Idlib.
  • Date: 3rd November 2012
  • Summary: TAFTANAZ, IDLIB PROVINCE, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 3, 2012) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) TAFTANAZ MILITARY AIRPORT HELICOPTER HOVERING HELICOPTER LANDING VARIOUS OF MILITARY HELICOPTER HOVERING, AUDIO OF GUNFIRE SYRIAN REBEL FIGHTER HOLDING GUN TWO REBEL FIGHTERS SHOOTING GUNS IN THE AIR MACHINEGUN MOUNTED ON BACK OF SMALL TRUCK, REBEL FIGHTER SITTING NEXT TO IT CLOSE OF REBEL FI
  • Embargoed: 18th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEMTLEYUD9GP6JLHGQDUJ5XYKZ
  • Story Text: Syrian rebels attacked a military airport in the country's north on Saturday (November 3) in a push to cut off Syria's biggest city Aleppo from the capital Damascus, and secure a strategic north-south corridor.
    Video obtained by Reuters shows rebel fighters launching their assault on the Taftanaz airbase, using machineguns.
    "We attacked Taftanaz military airport which contains a number of helicopters that shell the whole region, thank God. With minor potential from our side we were able to destroy a huge space in this airport and hit a number of planes. As you can see the planes destroyed Taftanaz with explosions," said one rebel fighter, Zaydan Zydan.
    Fighters from the Islamist Front to Liberate Syria said they launched the attack on the airport in the early hours of Saturday, using rocket launchers and at least three tanks.
    The government has used Taftanaz to fuel helicopter gunships and fighter jets that have bombarded nearby villages.
    Rebels said they pulled back after six hours of fighting and destroying two helicopters.
    President Bashar al-Assad's forces appear over-stretched with fewer fighters on the ground and have sought to limit rebel advances with far superior firepower, increasingly from the air and especially in the Aleppo and Damascus areas.
    But despite ragged command-and-control and few heavy weapons, the rebels have gained control over the rural north and border crossings to Turkey after 19 months of conflict and now seek to isolate Aleppo from Assad's power fulcrum in Damascus.
    The revolt against Assad began as peaceful rallies calling for more freedoms and democracy but turned to armed struggle against the military machine that he unleashed on protesters.
    Diplomatic intervention has been fruitless with major world and regional powers are at loggerheads over how to end the conflict. It has killed about 32,000 people, making it the bloodiest of Arab uprisings that have ousted entrenched leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen since early last year.
    END
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