Syrian government forces and rebels fought battles north of Aleppo and in the city center on Friday, a week into a Russian-backed offensive by the Syrian army to take the entire city, a war monitor and sources on both sides said. There were conflicting accounts on the outcome of Friday’s fighting. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a Syrian military source said government forces had captured territory north of the city and buildings in the city center. Rebel sources however denied any additional advances north of the city by government forces that seized the Handarat camp area north of Aleppo on Thursday. A rebel official said government forces had advanced in the Suleiman al-Halabi district of central Aleppo, but were then forced to withdraw. The Syrian military and its allies launched a Russian-backed offensive one week ago aimed at capturing rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo that are home to more than 250,000 people. Aleppo has been divided into government and opposition sectors for four years.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-aleppo-idUSKCN1200Q9
