The Alawite army has renewed its heavy shelling of liberated areas of Aleppo, the country's commercial capital.
Intense bombardment rocked the neighborhoods of Hanano, Saif al-Dawla, Shaar and Shakur starting at 3:00am local time (00:00 GMT) on Thursday. Shooting was heard in several suburbs of the northern city.
The Alawite attacks on Thursday are part of the Assad's regime continuing air and ground assault on Aleppo, which is being defended by the liberation army.
The battle for the city has now raged for more than two weeks.
The fighting in Aleppo has focused mainly on the neighborhood of Salaheddin, where heavy clashes have taken place in recent days between the Free Syrian Army and Assad's regime forces.
On Thursday morning, FSA commanders said that they were partially withdrawing from some parts of the neighborhood, under heavy Alawite fire. The FSA has withdrawn from two streets, where there has been fighting in recent days, to nearby Sukari district, where they are preparing a counter attack against the Russia backed enemy.
A large number of civilians were killed by Assad's troops, as were some 40 freedom fighters. Forty buildings have been flattened by the Alawites.
The freedom fighters will open new fronts in Saif al-Dawla and Mashhad districts. Alawite forces to the east of Salaheddin forces are using air and artillery fire to assault Salaheddin. The fighting is the worst that Aleppo has seen since the anti-Assad revolution began.
Aleppo, the largest city in Syria and its commercial center, holds great symbolic and strategic importance. It is located some 40km from the Turkish border. The victory of the liberation army there would allow easier access for weapons and freedom fighters from Turkey, where many of them are based.
Source: Agencies
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