Fierce fighting has erupted in rebel-held districts of Aleppo on Sunday, a day after opposition forces repulsed an offensive by Assad regime troops in Syria's second-largest city.
Intense clashes took place in the districts of Bab al-Hadid, Zahraa, Arkub and Al-Hindrat Camp on Sunday as explosions were heard and aircraft were sighted overhead.
Russian-made helicopter gunships flew over the Saif al-Dawla district as well as Salaheddin, where freedom fighters held off an offensive by ground troops backed by Russian-made tanks and helicopters on Saturday.
In the central city of Homs, a battle broke out near the puppet police headquarters between Assad's troops and freedom fighters, of whom at least one was killed.
Near the capital, Alawite sniper fire killed a civilian in the town of Irbin. Two more were killed in shelling in Idlib province in the northwest.
On Saturday, violence killed 168 people, 94 civilians, 33 freedom fighters and 41 Assad's soldiers.
Civilians on Saturday crowded into basements seeking refuge from the bombing. There were thousands of people in the streets fleeing the bombardment. They're being terrorized by Russian-made helicopter gunships flying at low altitude. Many had taken refuge in public parks.
Free Syrian Army forces on Saturday repulsed troops of Russian puppets in Salaheddin district, and the regime offensive was temporarily stopped.
The freedom fighters managed to force the Alawite army to the neighborhood of Hamdaniyeh. While the enemy army has been halted on the ground, artillery and gunships continued to pound the city.
The fact the Assad's soldiers had been stopped in Salaheddin does not necessarily mean a withdrawal as their strategy is to bombard ... to cause an exodus then launch an assault even more fierce.
Freedom fighters were poised to launch a final raid on a strategic puppet police post in the city center, where 100 Alawite thugs armed with Kalashnikovs have been holding out for three days.
Its capture would open a corridor between Salaheddin and the liberated district of Sakhur, some 6km to the northeast.
Source: Agencies
Kavkaz Center
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