- Title: Syrian army's advance in eastern Aleppo slows
- Date: 8th December 2016
- Summary: ALEPPO, SYRIA (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) WESTERN ALEPPO AND EASTERN ALEPPO, SOUND OF EXPLOSIONS SMOKE RISING FROM SOUTH OF BUSTAN AL-QASR DISTRICT / AUDIO OF EXPLOSIONS AND GUNFIRE VARIOUS OF SMOKE MOVING ACROSS ALEPPO FROM BUSTAN AL-QASR DISTRICT / SOUND OF GUNFIRE (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF HEAVY WEAPON FIRING FROM GOVERNMENT FORCES / SOUND OF GUNFIRE IZAA DISTRICT AND BUSTAN AL-QASR AT NIGHT / SMOKE IN DISTANCE MOSQUE IN BUSTAN AL-QASR DAMAGED BUILDINGS IN BUSTAN AL-QASR
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 16:11
- Keywords: Syria Aleppo army rebels
- Location: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- City: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C0Z493
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Syrian army's advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday (December 8) as rebel groups put up stiff resistance particularly in Bustan al-Qasr district.
In footage filmed from Aleppo's Meridien district by Reuters, explosions and gunfire could be heard as the army used heavy weapons and bullets flew through the area.
A Reuters journalist said government forces were shelling rebel-held areas of southwestern Aleppo into the afternoon.
Columns of smoke were seen rising from rebel-held areas.
Pro-Damascus media reported that Syrian government forces and their allies had launched attacks against insurgents in the Sukkari, Kalasa and Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhoods, west and south of Aleppo's ancient citadel.
An opposition activist in Aleppo said insurgents had staved off the attacks on the latter two districts.
Monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy clashes in those areas, but said there was no new government advances on Thursday.
Government forces have in the past two weeks seized more than two-thirds of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, which had been in insurgents' hands for years.
President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to take full control of Aleppo which would change the course of the six-year civil war in his favour.
More than 800 people have been killed and 3,000-3,500 wounded in eastern Aleppo in the past 26 days, while the remaining trapped civilians await an effective death sentence, the president of the Aleppo local council said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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