© AFP 2016/ BARAA
AL-HALABI
14:37
16.02.2016(updated 14:47 16.02.2016) Get short URL
The battle of Aleppo
has involved a wide range of forces, from the Syrian Army to numerous rebel and
jihadist groups; for the government, liberating Aleppo could mean the turning
point in the Syrian civil war, while the militants consider Aleppo an important
bargaining chip in negotiating Syria’s future.
© AFP 2016/ GEORGE
OURFALIAN
Aleppo is one
of the oldest cities in the world. It has been continuously inhabited
since as early as the 6th millennium BC. Throughout its history, the
city has played an important role in the region, serving as a major
trade center. During the modern age, the city was part of the Ottoman
Empire and was its third-largest populated city, after Constantinople and
Cairo.
When Syria was
established as an independent state, Aleppo was the country’s largest city and business
center. As of 2011, its population was three million. Most of Syria's
industrial facilities were concentrated in the city of Aleppo and its
immediate suburbs, and employed 50 percent of country’s labor force.
© AFP 2016/ RAMZI
HAUDAR
A picture taken 17
March 2006 shows a general view of the historic Syrian city of Aleppo, 350 kms
north of Damascus, with its landmark cytadel in the background.
The nationwide
protests which sparked in Syria in 2011 did not spare Aleppo.
Protests and meetings in Aleppo started in August 2011, and were held
under the flags of both opposition forces and supporters
of President Bashar Assad.
However, the level
of violence gradually increased. A series of terrorist attacks rocked
the city, and the authorities launched an anti-terrorist campaign which was
portrayed as "oppressive" by some Western media sources.
© AFP 2016/ TAUSEEF
MUSTAFA
A Syrian woman holds
a sign calling for the arming of rebels as civilians and Free Syrian Army
members march during a protest against the regime in the northern city of
Aleppo on October 5, 2012
Combat activity
started in Aleppo in July 2012, when militants launched an offensive
on the city. After fierce street battles, in spring 2013 the Syrian
Army and militants carved out their own respective regions of the
city.
© REUTERS/
ABDELRAHMIN ISMAIL
Government forces
captured the western part of Aleppo, including its landmark citadel and
almost half of its surroundings. In turn, the militants seized the eastern
parts of Aleppo. The city is located only 45 kilometers from the
Syrian-Turkish border, so militants were able to receive supplies
directly from Turkey.
For more than a
year, both sides mainly tried to maintain their positions,
without engaging in large-scale clashes. At the same time, the
industrial areas of Aleppo became a battlefield. By February 2015, the Syrian
Army had
managed to partly surround the city.
Since the beginning
of the civil war, Aleppo has been home to a large number
of foreigners, due to its proximity to Turkey. Daesh field
commanders such as Abu Omar al-Shishani and Muslim Abu Walid Shishani are
known for having taken part in the fighting in Aleppo.
© AFP 2016/ BARAA
AL-HALABI
Rebel fighters from
the "First Battalion" under the Free Syrian Army take part in a
military training on June 10, 2015, in the rebel-held countryside of the
northern city of Aleppo.
In addition
to Daesh (ISIL/ISIS), the al-Nusra
Front has
been actively engaged in battles in Aleppo and its suburbs. Like
Daesh, this terrorist group has recruited Islamic fundamentalist militants
from all over the world. Its goal is to establish a Sharia-ruled
state in the areas it controls, spreading terror among the 300,000
people who remain in Aleppo.
Other extremist
groups active in Aleppo and its suburbs include the Islamic Front, Jabhat
Ansar al-Din, and the Caucasus Emirate in the Levant. They
cooperate with the so-called Free Syrian Army.
© REUTERS/
ABDELRAHMIN ISMAIL
Over the last few
weeks, the Western media has emphasized that Aleppo is facing a humanitarian
catastrophe. But there are many Syrian cities affected by the war which
can be described in the same way. A humanitarian disaster has already
happened in Homs, Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo and other cities.
While the Western
media repeatedly airs footage of buildings lying in ruins, few
acknowledge that the Battle of Aleppo has already lasted four grueling
years. During combat, the electrical grid, water supply and sewage system were
damaged. Power supplies were partly restored in the city in 2013, and
the local power plant is now operated by a managing council formed
by locals. However, the situation with the water supply still remains
disastrous.
At the same time,
food supplies to Aleppo have been more or less regular, but expensive
due to a great number of risks.
All of the
above proves that the humanitarian situation in Aleppo can be described
as permanently catastrophic.
Recently, the
Western media has reported that Russian airstrikes and Iranian forces have
forced people to flee Aleppo. However, areas which remain
under Syrian government control have already seen a massive number
of internal asylum seekers arrive, fleeing the militants’ numerous
atrocities. According to the UN, as of December 2015, 6.5 million
refugees were internally displaced.
© AFP 2016/ BULENT
KILIC
Syrian refugees are
pictured in a camp as Syrians fleeing the northern embattled city of Aleppo
wait on February 6, 2016 in Bab al-Salama, near the city of Azaz, northern
Syria, near the Turkish border crossing.
Currently, the
developments around Aleppo are being heralded as a "turning
point" in the Syrian civil war.
The first reports
that Aleppo was going to be liberated appeared in autumn 2013.
However, it was not that simple. Syrian forces have been gradually liberating
Aleppo's suburbs. It seems that the strategy is to surround and blockade
the city. Despite their efforts, much of Aleppo remains controlled
by militants, and government forces have yet to completely encircle
the eastern part of the city.
© AFP 2016/ BURHAN
OZBILICI
Currently, two
Syrian Army groups are advancing toward Aleppo from the north,
from the cities of Nubl and al-Zahra. Their advances have been backed
by Russian
airstrikes. As a
result, the city has been cut off from the northern part of Aleppo
province. The Syrian Army also disrupted militants' supply lines
from Turkey. Nevertheless, Islamists still control part of the
Syrian-Turkish border in north-western Aleppo.
Furthermore, even is
the Syrian Army manages to surround Aleppo, it may take months
for them to regain control over the city. The army cannot
assault Aleppo as it would cause numerous casualties among its
residents.
The West and Turkey
consider Aleppo a strong card for Syrian rebel groups to play
during negotiations. Even though it is partly in ruins, control
of such a large city could significantly boost their status in the
Syrian peace talks.
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