Syrian forces close in on Aleppo's Sheikh Saeed - military

Record ID: 82995

  • Title: Syrian forces close in on Aleppo's Sheikh Saeed - military
  • Date: 7th October 2016
  • Summary: ALEPPO, SYRIA (OCTOBER 7, 2016) (REUTERS) SYRIAN SOLDIERS WALKING IN SHEIKH SAEED SOLDIERS WALKING THROUGH COUNTRYSIDE VIEW OF SHEIKH SAEED (AUDIO OF GUNFIRE) COUNTRYSIDE AREA SMOKE RISING FROM TOWN VIEW OF SHEIKH SAEED WALL WITH GRAFFITI (Arabic): "ALEPPO SHAHBA BRIGADE" SYRIAN SOLDIER AIMING RIFLE TANK SIGN READING (Arabic and English): "ALEPPO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 5 KM"
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2016 21:22
  • Keywords: Aleppo government Sheikh Saeed airport
  • Location: ALEPPO, SYRIA
  • City: ALEPPO, SYRIA
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA001530D3RB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Syria's army and allies clashed on Friday (October 7) in the south of Aleppo with rebels seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad, a military source, rebels and a monitor said, part of a pro-government offensive to retake Syria's once largest city.
    The fighting was concentrated in Sheikh Saeed, a rebel-held district of the city next to Ramousah, where the most intense battles earlier this summer took place, but there were conflicting accounts of whether the army made any gains.
    A Syrian military source said on Friday morning that the army had captured several important positions on Sheikh Saeed's hilltop, but rebels said later that all those gains had been reversed and that insurgents still held the area.
    Since the start of an offensive two weeks ago, following the collapse of a short ceasefire, the army and its allies have made some progress in northern and central districts of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, home to more than 250,000 people.
    However, to completely storm eastern Aleppo could take months and would involve the destruction of the city and great loss of life, the United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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