Aleppo braces for major assault as Syrian army presses in

Syrians walk amid dust following a reported barrel-bomb attack by Syrian government forces on July 7, 2014 in the Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood in the northern city of Aleppo. The opposition Syrian NatioShow more

BEIRUT // Syria’s army is poised to lay siege on Aleppo.

According to activists, regime forces advanced in and around the northern city on Monday in what appears to be a major assault on rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

If successful, it would be the biggest blow to opposition fighters in Syria’s largest city since they entered it two years ago.

“The military situation is very difficult, the siege of Aleppo has become a reality,” said the opposition Syrian National Coalition spokesman Luay Safi on the group’s website on Sunday.

“Syrian troops are preparing to invade Aleppo,” he said.

Once the country’s commercial hub, Aleppo has been carved up into rebel- and government-controlled areas since a July 2012 rebel offensive.

The push also comes a month after extremist fighters of the Islamic State group seized territories straddling Syria and neighbouring Iraq where they have declared a self-styled caliphate.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Monday that reinforcements, including members of the elite Republican Guards and allies from Lebanon’s Hizbollah group, had recently arrived in Aleppo.

Mr Abdurrahman and another activist who goes by the name of Abu Al Hassan said Monday’s fighting was concentrated near an army base known as the Infantry Academy that rebels captured two years ago.

“The latest attack does not mean that Aleppo will fall. It is going to be a very difficult battle,” said Mr Abdurrahman.

He said government forces are trying to capture Aleppo’s northern district of Handarat in order to further close in on rebels.

The move against the rebel-held areas comes two months after hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters withdrew from parts of the central city of Homs which they had held for nearly two years despite a government blockade. Homs, once the centre of the revolt against President Bashar Assad, is currently under government control.

Syrian government forces last week seized the Sheikh Najjar neighbourhood and a key industrial area, allowing them to choke off rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

A Syrian army officer said that troops now control a main highway north of Aleppo and “we have closed a belt of up to 80 per cent from the north.”

State television reported that military experts were dismantling bombs placed by rebels in the industrial area, adding that large amounts of weapons were captured. Government forces control much of western Aleppo and have closed down most of the city’s southern entrances, and are currently attempting to close the northeastern gates.

State-run news agency Sana said the army continued its crackdown on “terrorist”’ hideouts and had killed and wounded scores. The government refers to opposition fighters as terrorists.

*Associated Press and Agence France-Presse