The Aleppo offensive (July 2015) was a military operation launched by two rebel coalitions against the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

, during the Syrian Civil War, in the city of Aleppo. The aim of the operation was to breach Army defenses and enter, and potentially take, the government-held western half of the city.

The offensive

On 2 July, the major offensive was launched by two rebel coalitions,

Fatah Halab Fatah Halab ( ar, فتح حلب, Fataḥ Ḥalab, lit=Conquest of Aleppo), or Aleppo Conquest, was a joint operations room of Syrian rebel factions operating in and around Aleppo, Syria. Succeeding the Aleppo Liberation operations room, its ...

and Ansar Sharia, the latter of which includes the

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

-linked

al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...

, with fighting focusing on the Jamiyat al-Zahra frontline. By the next day, the rebels seized some buildings in Jamiyat al-Zahra, but the advance was of no strategic importance and came at a cost of heavy casualties, with 35 rebels being killed amidst heavy air-strikes. At least 18 soldiers were killed in the fighting. In the evening, government troops managed to recapture the areas they lost. On 4 July, the Fatah Halab managed to seize the Scientific Research Center on Aleppo's western outskirts, thus overcoming the first major government fortification and potentially threatening government-held areas of Aleppo. Later during the day, government fighters launched a counter-attack against the Scientific Research Center, and managed to enter the eastern outskirts of the Center but were forced to retreat outside the complex's walls after heavy shelling. 12 more rebels and 12 soldiers were killed in the clashes. As of 5 July, the attack on Jamiyat al-Zahra had largely failed, while the military was still attempting to recapture the Center. On the evening of 6 July, a suicide bomber hit government positions in Jamiyat al-Zahra, leaving 25 government fighters dead. The ensuing fighting also left 19 rebels dead and opposition activists claimed rebel forces managed to capture several buildings. Fighting also continued at the Center. By 7 July, the renewed rebel attack on al-Zahra had been repelled, while the military reportedly used chlorine gas in an attempt to regain control of the Scientific Research Center. The opposition activist group the SOHR reported there were no casualties among the rebels since most of them were wearing gas masks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aleppo offensive (2015 07) Aleppo in the Syrian civil war Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2015 Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Syrian government Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving Hezbollah Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the al-Nusra Front Military operations of the Syrian civil war involving the Free Syrian Army

The offensive

See also

References