Syrian government forces on Saturday launched a ground offensive to recapture rebel-held districts in the northern city of Aleppo, Trend reports. According to the Aljazeera, the governmental troops are bombarding rebel-held areas with heavy artillery
Western countries have expressed concern for a massacre in Aleppo, a city of more than 2 million people near the border with Turkey.
Britain-based watchdog group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said the army poured troops into the southwest of the city on Saturday. Activist group the General Comittee of the Syrian Revolution also said that troops were raking Salaheddine with heavy machinegun fire as they advanced on the neighbourhood, which has been a stronghold of rebel fighters since they seized large parts of Syria's second city on July 20.
Some 160 people were killed on Friday across Syria, including 17 in Aleppo, the observatory said.
Al-Assad sent reinforcements to Aleppo to recapture the city from rebels.
The outcome of the battle could determine the course of the 17-month revolt against al-Assad's regime.
