Military face off continues in Syria's Aleppo, minister says rebel to lose
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E-mail Xinhua, July 29, 2012
Military face off continues in Syria's Aleppo, minister says rebel to lose
DAMASCUS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Syrian forces have continued hunting down armed groups in northern Aleppo province, state media said, as Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem assured that armed rebels will fail in Aleppo.
The state-run SANA news agency said heavy losses have been inflicted on armed groups in the Aleppo neighbourhood of Salahuddien, which was the first to fall in the hands of rebels days ago.
It said many of the rebels' leaders were killed in Sunday's clashes.
Meanwhile, the pro-government Addounia TV said the Syrian forces have carried out a qualitative operation in the Salhuddien area and other districts. The TV added that the rebels are tossing their weapons in garbage cans and fleeing the military showdown.
On the opposition side, the Local Coordination Committees (LCC) said at least 31 people killed Sunday nationwide, nine of whom were in Aleppo.
The LCC claimed that rebels have taken control of al-Ahdath prison in Aleppo. It said that 21 people were killed in the government troops' shelling on Sheikh Miskeen town in southern province of Daraa.
The activists' account couldn't be independently checked.
SANA said the Syrian troops stormed "terrorists" hideout in Sheikh Miskeen and cost them great losses.
Meantime, head of the Syrian National Council, an opposition umbrella in exile, pleaded to the international community to act on Syria outside the UN Security Council.
"Our friends and allies will bear responsibility for the terrifying massacres that will happen in Aleppo if they don't move soon. This regime is planning for a big massacre in Aleppo," Abdulbaset Sieda, told reporters in Abu Dhabi, according to the CNN.
He urged the Syrian opposition's allies to act outside of the UN Security Council, and to render weapons to the rebels because they "are fighting with primitive types of weapons against the killing machine."
The battles in Aleppo started a week ago, when armed rebels announced the commencement of the battle "to free Aleppo" after being dislodged from the capital Damascus.
The city has witnessed intense clashes Saturday in what some pro-government media said the army's operation to regain control of Aleppo, the commercial capital of Syria.
Meanwhile, Syrian foreign minister Al-Moallem said at a joint press conference with Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran on Sunday that "Since last week, (opposition fighters) planned for whatever they called the 'great Damascus battle,' but they have failed after one week. That's why they moved to Aleppo, and I can assure you that they will fail."
"Syria is now stronger and will move ahead in facing the aggression against our nation," Moallem said.
He added that Syria has been facing an intensive campaign by the United States, Western and some Arab countries about chemical weapons since a month.
"Whether or not we possess such unconventional weapons, the fact is that the Israeli enemy possesses nuclear capabilities acknowledged by Washington," said al-Moallem.
"With regard to the Chemical Weapons Convention, we are ready to sign it if signed by Israel. This is a fair and legitimate demand and Syria is a responsible country that respects international legitimacy and the rules of international law," al- Moallem said, adding that Syria wants welfare for the region and stressed that Syria is facing the whole world and is determined to encounter the conspiratorial scheme against it and will foil it.
Al-Moallem stressed that the Syrian army will continue facing " terrorists" on the ground. Enditem
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