Syrian government forces carried out airstrikes late Thursday and into Friday against insurgent positions in the northern city of Aleppo, the site of an intense campaign to seize full control of the city from forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.
Control of Aleppo has remained starkly divided between government and rebel forces since insurgent groups seized the eastern half of the city in a major offensive in 2012.
The Britain-based monitor group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes Thursday between government forces and insurgents continued into the early morning Friday. Rebel forces fired rockets and missiles into government-held districts while continuous Syrian government airstrikes bombarded the city and its environs.
A Syrian military source told Reuters that government forces repelled the groups leading the attack and inflicted heavy casualties.
The insurgent groups behind the assault on Aleppo appear to be an alliance of Islamist groups known as Ansar Sharia and include al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate al-Nusra Front, BBC reported.
A statement released by the alliance said their goal in the offensive was to “liberate the city of Aleppo” and rule it according to principles of Islamic Sharia law, according to BBC.
Meanwhile, Turkey stepped up security along its border with Syria as clashes intensified in and around Aleppo.
While speculation rose of a Turkish cross-border operation in Syria, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu downplayed the rumors, telling broadcaster Kanal 7 late Thursday that “no one should have the expectation that Turkey will enter Syria tomorrow or in the near future.”
