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Subscribe to RSSReuters reports — Syrian helicopter gunships and artillery pounded two key areas of Aleppo on Tuesday, extending the army's campaign to control the country's biggest city, but rebel fighters said troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had been forced to retreat.
Zohra Bensemra / Reuters
A woman carries her child while walking through the rubble in Attarib, on the outskirts of Aleppo, on July 30, 2012.
UN: 200,000 civilians flee fierce fighting in Syria commercial hub
While rebels say they will turn Aleppo into the "grave" of the Assad government, thousands of residents have fled the city and those who remain face shortages of food and fuel and the ever-present risk of injury or death.
For days the Syrian troops' weapons have given them the upper hand during key battles in Aleppo, but the rebels – now armed with powerful shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles -- are preparing for a different kind of fight. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Aleppo residents have mixed reactions to Syria rebels
"We have hardly any power or water, our wives and kids have left us here to watch the house and have gone somewhere safer. said Jumaa, a 45-year-old construction worker, who complained it was nearly impossible to observe the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, now in progress. Read the full story.
More images of the Syrian conflict on PhotoBlog
Zohra Bensemra / Reuters
Free Syrian Army members patrol Attarib, on the outskirts of Aleppo, on July 30, 2012.
EPA
A rebel at rest in a primary school near Aleppo on July 30, 2012.
EPA
Rebels arrest two people who they claimed were traitors, near Aleppo on July 30, 2012.
After months of protests and violent crackdowns, a look back at the violence that has overtaken the country.
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Maybe they can get a connection to that Libyan pizza route they showed not long ago because they looked pretty good. There was like 200 pizzas all stacked on top of each other on the back of a truck.
Everyone knows by this time that bigoted Sunni Saudi proxies like al-Qaida, MB and other Islamic religious Nazis are helping Syrian rebels.
During civil wars, if there are not shortages, are there going to be normal life as their normal Ramadan style fasting and feasting?
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Media, UN and its agencies, human rights groups and other Sunnis Saudi paid pipers are daily pounding some propaganda on Syria just like pre Iraqi war days!
Have they done similar things in Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria, Mali, Iraq, Afghanistan and other places?
Let there be some limits to double standards and hypocrisy. Let there be some fairness in this world too!
If the police and army over here were coming thruough you town and into your house and arresting your family and dragging you to an underground prison and hanging your father from the ceiling, beating him with sticks, I think you might be ONE OF THE REBELS. This started out as a peaceful protest and Assad just kept killing and killing and killing and now his country is in rubbles, the rebels have guns, most of the people support them, and Assad is beginning to see the light. Easy to sit and judge from your easy chair and HDTV.
Did you memorize all that propaganda or is someone feeding it to you as you type?
Go rebels. I can't wait to see Assad and his pretty little wife dragged throught the streets. It is just a matter of time.
Government forces have succeeded in imposing their grip on Damascus but rebel fighters gained control of parts of Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million people, where journalists have toured neighborhoods dotted with Free Syrian Army checkpoints flying black and white Islamist banners. hey Bill-4012182 heres your rebels, i cant even express or type how much i think your a idiot, GO watch Fox news more, Its clear That your brain washed
Ya the people love the rebels, thats why they are fleeing the city in droves now and when they initially arrived.
I also heard the media say that Aleppo is a "regime stronghold and bastion of support".
So it'd be more logical that the army needs to defend the people from the rebels, while the Syrian military was on the outskirts of the city, the rebels rushed into Aleppo itself. Thus why you have so many fleeing the city and why the Army is "attacking the city"; to cleanse it of rebels. And what people don't get is if Bashar REALLY wanted to "mass murder" and "slaughter people" ALOT more than a dozen a day would die.
I mean look at Iraq a few car bombs can kill more people in one day than the Syrian army supposedly did in the same amount of time.
What I find amusing is the "rebels" blaming the government forces for civilian casualties while they are the ones shooting automatic weapons blindly into the city over the tops of walls or reaching around corners and just pulling the trigger. And now they have rockets!
Where were you during our civil war.
Here's hoping that the rebels establish a government that does not hate Israel or America, as the current one does.
I think anyone who believes that Peter, also believes in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy!
It will only be one regime that hates non-Muslims replacing another regime that hates non-Muslims! Only the new regime will likely be based on sharia law and be even more vocal and active non-Muslim haters!
The rebels are a bunch of low life baby killers that will cut off the heads of any non Sunni !
I'm from Aleppo and I'm sunni and i have alawi friend just like bashar al-assad but he hates him
Islamic Sunnah are not thugs as you imagine we only hate who kills our children we want a freedom and bashar al-assad's army attacks us by artillery shells everyday. so we had to hold the weapons to protect our families our homes. we are not terrorists as you think, a guy like bashar al-assad who killed more than 2k innocent people is a terrorist
mohamamd: Track record of followers of Islamic cult are well known. They contradict what you are posting.
These days barbaric, bigoted, seventh century despotic Sunni Saudi proxies like Salaffi, Wahhabi, al-Qaida, MB and other Islamic religious Nazis are responsible for 80 percent of world problems.
You are posting this from Aleppo.
How many Shiites, women and non-Muslims can post like you have done from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other Sunni barbaric ruled nations?
Don't give your typical Ramadan style crap.
You people can do all sorts of dances dramas depending upon the circumstances including "love", "peace", "charity" and so on like Sufis!
These days you people have become so bigoted one-track minded Islamic Nazis, unheard or not seen in the history of humans, that you people can't even tolerate Sufis (Mali, Pakistan and other place), Shiites and Ahmedias!
Not many trust a word of what you people say, scream, write and other dances.
Look at Iraq. The conditions of Christians are worse after the removal of Saddam. Your Sunni al-Qaida are blowing up even Shiites including those going on pilgrimage to Karbala.
In Egypt, with Morsi as front cover for Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like Salaffi, MB and others, conditions of Christians, women and Jews are going to be worse.
It will be similar to Iraq!
Assad is one of the best ME rulers.
He should not leave a single Syrian rebels and most in the world don't support you Sunni Islamic religious Nazis.
Here's hoping that the rebels establish a government that does not hate Israel or America, as the current one does
Petercha you are funny do you think the Muslim brotherhood and the hard core Muslims would every love the US or anyone who is not hard core Muslims like them. You need to wake up. I say this over and over again Msnbc Cnn Fox News and all the main stream media is a big joke and all are bunch of lairs. Assad is not a puppet for the west and the Syrian people will never bow down to anyone. Is also funny that most of you people believe everything main stream media tells you. The western country are all based on western Imperialism. Why don't you people listen to Webster Tarpley maybe you people will learn something in life.
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
So if rebels were not in Aleppo the Syrian Army would still be bombing it ? (and even more so ?)
So much for a news organization being neutral. (gotta make that $$)
People who organize and participate in protests are considered terrorists but people who kill each other are rebels ..... now I get it.
Richard Engel reports that we should be overjoyed that the "rebels" have obtained missile launchers.
He assumes we're too stupid to ask the question: "Where'd the missiles come from?"
The answer: from us (indirectly, through Turkey).
They are not rebels. They are a proxy, brown-skinned army, imported from all over the middle east, fighting a proxy war against the russian-funded Syrian army. There's nothing noble about this fight. Just another drain on the economy.
Assad was right in that this is a foreign Army of terrorist that are killing Syrians ! Where are the peaceful protesters that Anderson Pooper brag about ? Turkey, Saudi Arabia, nato and the alQaida Sunni thugs are the terrorist ! I like how cnn mute Allah Akbar when they show the FSA !
What a bunch of cowards Shiites are? They talk big, act big and show their bravery before unarmed minorities like Jews, women and others. Then they add their dances when they stone them.
Shiites of Iraq should side with Kurds and should stop oil supplies to Turkey for supporting the Sunni Islamic extremists like al-Qaida, MB in Syria.
As they have been taking blows and killings by Sunnis, these Sunnis are able to act as they like to Shiites.
Shiites of Iran should side with Assad and see that all the Sunni rebels are eliminated.
What are the brave Hezbollah doing?
They should do suicide bombings in Mecca and Medina. Or else Shiites genocides just like the genocides of non-Muslims by the Sunni Islamic religious Nazis will continue.
A large crater in the middle of roads would probably be the most effective way to slow down or stop the Syrian Army advance to Aleppo, to which end mines in the roads should suffice, while also enabling rebels to destroy some important vehicles as well. But you do need to choose your sites carefully. (You don't always have to take out the lead vehicles with these mines, if you have remote control over these mines.) - RC
(These freedom fighters need smart artillery rockets, too, along with laser targeting systems.) - RC
(In lieu of that, send many mortars.) - RC
(Good luck to the Arab League!) - RC
RickerCarter YOU need to wake up your eyes are so far closed You will never see the truth, Stay in the dark I guess you like being lied to.
You guys are all being fooled expect for the few i'm glad not all of us are brain washed. This!!! is all being stage People plz wake up.. These rebels arnt who you think they are. Support Russia an China, I tell you This is all being Staged. THE nato An USA are supporting al-Qaida, MB WAKE UP people. These Rebels are being shiped in FROM IRAQ TURkey. LOOK at russia what they say about the bombing OF TOP leaders iN sryia WHAT DID RUSSIA say it is Terrorism. WAKE UP open YOUR EYES. These news are lies TRYING TO TRICK YOU GUYS. WHY DO YOU THINK THEY TOOK control OF Border Crossing. SO they Can Flood IN these Terriost. THESE REBELs are killing SCORES of people IN SYRIA AN THE BRAIN washing MEDIA is using it to MAKE it look like AsSADs GOVERNMENT did it. THE Problem Here FOR THE NATO the rebels cant hold on to territory SO nato cant do what they did in LIBYA no fly zones to straggle SYRIA TO DEATH. WAKE UP WAKE UP open your eyes
you people