Syrian forces launch ground operation in Aleppo
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 27 September 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syrian forces launch ground operation in Aleppo, 27 September 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e10c.html [accessed 24 January 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 27, 2016
Syrian Army soldiers patrol an area on the outskirts of Aleppo.
Syrian government forces launched a ground operation on September 27 to retake the besieged city of Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians are trapped.
Government troops took control of a rebel-held district in central Aleppo, which has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since 2012.
Syrian state TV said troops captured Farafra, near Aleppo's famous citadel, and that fighting was underway near the historic core of the northern city.
The Syrian Army announced an operation to retake eastern Aleppo on September 22, days after a week-long ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States broke down. Both sides have accused the other of violating the truce.
Since then, Syrian and Russian warplanes have pounded eastern neighborhoods, killing over 200 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitoring group.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
