Battle over Aleppo intensifies as Syria descends into all-out civil war

The official SANA news agency claimed regime forces had fully regained control on Salaheddine – the main rebel stronghold in the northern city. It said the military inflicted heavy losses upon “armed terrorist groups”, the government’s catch-all term for its opponents.

But Rami Abdul-Rahman, the director of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said troops are meeting resistance in the offensive.

President Bashar Assad’s regime has suffered a series of setbacks over the past month that point to mounting chaos in the country after a 17-month-uprising that has morphed into civil war.

Aleppo, the largest city in Syria and its commercial centre, holds great symbolic and strategic importance. About 25 miles from the Turkish border, it has been a pillar of regime support during the uprising. An opposition victory there would allow easier access for weapons and fighters from Turkey, where many rebels are based.

The number of refugees fleeing to Turkey in the past two days has increased markedly said Aleppo-based activists. Intense government bombardment of the Syrian town of Tal Rafaat closer to the border also sent scores of people spilling into Turkey for safety.