May 18, 2013
BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say Syrian troops and rebels are fighting some of the fiercest battles in the northern city of Aleppo.
The clashes Friday are part of a new push by the rebels to drive regime forces out of Syria's largest city and commercial capital after weeks of stalemate.
Aleppo-based activist Baraa al-Halabi says some of the heaviest battles are taking place in a predominantly Kurdish neighborhood.
The major rebel group in the city — the Tawhid Brigade — says on its Facebook page that its members have entered the Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood to fight pro-government Kurdish gunmen.
Meanwhile, state-run Syrian TV says government troops repulsed an attack on the neighborhood with the help of its residents.
Aleppo was once a bastion of support for President Bashar Assad.
Associated Press
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