19 Killed as Syrian Troops Batter Aleppo
Syrian forces shelled rebel-controlled zones of Aleppo before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least 19 people, among them seven children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Ten civilians were killed in the southern neighborhood of Bustan al-Qasr while a total of nine bodies, including those of the children, were found in the Marjeh and Hanano neighborhoods, the Britain-based watchdog said.
Activists have reported relentless bombardments and food shortages in rebel-held neighborhoods of the country's commercial capital, while an Agence France Presse reporter said life in the center of the city was relatively normal.
Rebels fighters on July 20 opened a new front in the Syrian conflict by launching an attack on Aleppo.
The army has since dislodged them from several sectors, including one of their main strongholds Salaheddin, but pockets of resistance remain.
The Observatory, which relies on information from a network of activists on the ground, says more than 26,000 people have been killed overall in Syria since the revolt against President Bashar Assad's rule broke out in March 2011.
Source: Agence France Presse
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