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Conflicting Reports About Aleppo Siege

Conflicting Reports About Aleppo Siege
Conflicting Reports About Aleppo Siege

Syrian militants claim to have broken the three-week government siege of Aleppo in northern Syria. They said they had broken the siege by opening a new route into the city from the southwest.

Opposition fighters and militants have waged fierce assaults since July 31 to end the siege of about 250,000 people in Aleppo’s eastern districts by government forces.

The faction Ahrar al-Sham said on Twitter that militants had seized control of Ramussa on the southwestern edges of the city and “opened the route to Aleppo” on Saturday, AFP reported.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 500 rebels and government fighters had been killed in the offensive since it was launched on Sunday, as well as 130 civilians.

However, Al-Manar, a television station run by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has forces fighting alongside Syrian government forces, denied that Ramussa had fallen or that the siege had been broken.

Also on Saturday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces alliance won a major battle with the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group in Manbij. The Observatory said SDF took control of Manbij and are combing the city in search of the last remaining militants.

Manbij has been a key transit point along the IS supply route from the Turkish border to Raqqa. The Manbij Military Council said fighting was still ongoing.

 “The battles are continuing near the center of the town. We are in control of 90% of Manbij,” spokesman Sherfan Darwish said.

Financialtribune.com