Battle rages in Aleppo as Russia urges Syria unity

SYRIA: Fighting for control of a key army base in Aleppo raged on Saturday, as Russia tried to revive a divisive accord on ending the bloodshed that calls for a government of unity in Syria.

As Lakhdar Brahimi prepared for his first visit to Damascus as international envoy on Syria, EU foreign ministers meeting in Cyprus upped the pressure, saying they agreed on the need to beef up sanctions against the Syrian regime. On the ground, the army claimed a victory against rebels in the northern city of Aleppo, ousting them from the Hanano army base backed by armour and helicopters in a 20-hour battle, military sources and witnesses said.

“There are a lot of victims on both sides,” one witness told AFP. A military official said soldiers destroyed six armoured vehicles the rebels were using to transport arms seized from the barracks that serves mainly as a weapons depot and recruitment centre.

Rebels on Friday claimed to have captured parts of the barracks.

AFP