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Syrian government forces attack the city of Aleppo with helicopter gunships and aircraft 2707121

Conflict in the World - Syria

Friday, July 27, 2012, 10:57 AM

Syrian government forces attack the city of Aleppo with helicopter gunships and aircraft.

Syrian government forces have renewed their assault on the northern city of Aleppo, firing from helicopter gunships on rebel-held areas. Special forces were deployed on Wednesday and Thursday, July 26, 2012, on the edges of the city, and more troops have arrived to take part in a generalised counter-offensive on Friday or Saturday.

In this Tuesday, July 24, 2012 photo, a damaged BMP-1 Syrian government forces armoured fighting vehicle is seen at the border town of Azaz, some 32 km North of Aleppo, Syria.

Opposition sources Syrian troops and armour are amassing around the northern city of Aleppo, Syrian's main commercial and industrial hub, to crush armed resistance to Assad that has been gathering momentum following a military crackdown on street demonstrations against his rule.

After a week of battles between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and his opponents in Damascus, fighting intensified in Aleppo, a more populous commercial city that had long seemed immune to the 16-month-old upheaval convulsing Syria.

Troops were trying to snuff out rebel resistance in several areas, including Barzeh, near the centre of the city, and the southern districts of Hajar al-Aswad, Asali and Qadam. Tanks prowled the streets of Midan, a neighbourhood recaptured by the army from rebels on Friday, laste week.