Fighting rages near Syria's Aleppo

ALEPPO - Agence France-Presse

Fighting raged July 21 close to Aleppo international airport and nearby air bases as the battle for Syria’s second city entered its second year, a monitoring group said.

“Fierce clashes broke out at dawn near Aleppo international airport and Nairab air base,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also reporting fighting in the Suleiman Halabi district of the city. The violence in Aleppo comes a year after a massive rebel advance into the provincial capital.

Stalemate has gripped the city ever since, splitting it into rebel-held and government-controlled areas.

The pro-regime Al-Watan daily today said the Aleppo rebels had failed “to secure their goal of taking control of Syria’s commercial capital.” Over the past year, insurgents have fought to take Aleppo’s airports, aiming to stop regime warplanes from bombing rebel areas. The city’s international airport has been closed since January.