Saturday, July 27, 2013

Regime forces have control half of the Khaldiyeh district of Homs after fierce fighting

Regime forces backed by Hezbollah have control half of the Khaldiyeh district of Homs after ousting rebels in fierce fighting in the central Syrian city, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.
"Loyalist forces backed by fighters from Hezbollah have advanced over the last 24 hours and now control 50 percent of Khaldiyeh," the watchdog said.
Its chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that overnight, "there was continuous heavy mortar and artillery fire" and that the rebel district was still being pounded. He said rebels were putting up "fierce resistance" amid "very intense clashes".
Military network the Syrian Revolution General Commission also reported heavy fighting in the district that has been besieged by regime forces for more than a year.
"Khaldiyeh is being targeted by an uninterrupted heavy bombardment, and on the ground there is fierce fighting between Free Syrian Army fighters and regime forces backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah trying to take the district," an SRGC statement said.
It and the Observatory both said the Old City district of Homs -- dubbed the "capital of the revolution" against President Bashar al-Assad -- was being pummelled too.
The latest regime offensive on besieged rebel-held neighbourhoods of Homs is now in its fourth week.

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