Syrian rebels losing ground as government strikes harder

A ground assault was launched by government forces in Syria on areas held by rebels within the city of Aleppo which has been the centre of most battles between the two for over two weeks.

The opposition’s hold on its strongholds within the city, have slowly been weakening as attacks by government forces become more forceful.

According to Syrian news reports, government forces had regained control over the main rebel area in Aleppo claiming to have brought down hundreds of “armed terrorists” which has become the term used by the government for anyone in opposition to the regime.

Rebels resisted the attack while airstrikes 40 kilometres north from the city, killed six people from the same family after their home was struck.

Shelling the village was not new to the residents but they said this was the first airstrike despite there not being any real reason why the area was targeted.

This attack shows that the regime is not solely focusing attention on the struggle in Aleppo as the international community continues to condemn Syria’s government.

Despite incurring several setbacks and high-level defects, President Bashar al-Assad’s regime continues to be a part of the turmoil as the civil war intensifies.

Should the opposition manage to take over Aleppo, rebels would have easier access for weapons and fighter from Turkey.

It was unlikely that rebels were receiving any heavy weapons according to a foreign diplomat in Turkey decreasing the possibility of their overturning the regime in Aleppo.

To date, around 50,000 Syrians have fled their country to the safety of Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, as the death toll continues to increase.