Fighting Rages in Key Assad Bastion of Aleppo

July 21, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

As government forces in Syria seek to regain control of rebel-held areas, fighting in the country has gained siginifcant traction in Aleppo, the country's main commercial hub in the north and key bastion of the Assad clan. Though the Free Syrian Army has gained control of some surrounding villages, activists say Aleppo will be a tough fight and will not fall quickly. Elsewhere in the country, in Homs, Damascus and Hama, reports continue to show evidence of shelling, gunfire and sniper attacks.

(more) (less)

In This Video

Aleppo

Aleppo on Syyrian suurin kaupunki ja samannimisen hallintoalueen pääkaupunki. Se sijaitsee Syyrian pohjoisosassa lähellä Turkin vastaista rajaa. Kaupungissa oli vuonna 2010 asukkaita 1 707 656. Aleppon väestö jakautuu suurimmalta osalta arabeihin, turkkilaisiin, kurdeihin ja a... Explore this topic

Syrian Civil War

The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba'ath Party government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with popular demonstrations that grew nationwide by April 2011. These demonstrations were pa... Explore this topic

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest. A country of fertile plains, high mountains and deserts, i... Explore this topic

Damascus

Damascus, commonly known in Syria as ash-Sham and nicknamed as the City of Jasmine, is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo. It borders Quneitra, Daraa and As-Suwayda to the south, Jordan to the east, Homs to the north, and Lebanon to the west. It is a... Explore this topic

Free Syrian Army

The Free Syrian Army is an armed opposition structure operating in Syria during the Syrian civil war. Composed of defected Syrian Armed Forces personnel and volunteers, its formation was announced on 29 July 2011 in a video released on the internet by a uniformed group of dese... Explore this topic

Hama

Hama north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 312,994 (2004 census), Hama is the fifth-largest city in Syria after Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Latakia. The city is renowned for its seventeen norias used for watering the gardens, ... Explore this topic

Homs

Homs, previously known as Emesa, is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is 501 metres above sea level and is located 162 kilometres north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is also the central link between the interior cities and th... Explore this topic

Bashar al-Assad

Bashar Hafez al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Syrian-led branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. He has served as President since 2000, when he succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for 30 years prior to his death. Al-Assa... Explore this topic

Military of Syria

The Syrian Armed Forces are the military forces of Syria. They consist of the Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Force, and several paramilitary forces. According to the Syrian Constitution, the President of Syria is the Commande... Explore this topic

Politics of Syria

Politics in the Syrian Arab Republic takes place in the framework of what is officially a parliamentary republic, but what is considered an authoritarian government where the power is in the hands of the President of Syria and his family, all members of the ruling Arab Sociali... Explore this topic

Also See

Aleppo

Syrian Civil War

Syria