Aleppo offensive (July 2015)

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

Aleppo offensive (July 2015)
Part of the Battle of Aleppo and the Syrian Civil War
Situation in Aleppo city as of July 2015      Syrian Army control      Opposition control      Kurdish control      Islamic State in Iraq & Levant      Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date 2–7 July 2015 (5 days) Location Aleppo, Syria Result Indecisive; Limited rebel gains Territorial changes Rebels capture the Scientific Research Center, but fail in their attack on Jamiyat al-Zahra[1]
Belligerents
Fatah Halab[2] Levant Front Free Syrian Army Ansar al-Sharia[3] al-Nusra Front[4] Jabhat Ansar al-Din[4] Ansar al Khilafah[5] Mujahideen al Islam Movement[5] Al Tawhid Wal Jihad Brigade[5]	Syrian Arab Republic Syrian Armed Forces National Defense Force Ba'ath Brigades[6] Al-Quds Brigade[6] Hezbollah
Casualties and losses
67 killed[7][8]	55 killed[8][9][10]

The offensive

On 2 July, the major offensive was launched by two rebel coalitions, Fatah Halab and Ansar Sharia, the latter of which includes the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front,[11] with fighting focusing on the Jamiyat al-Zahra frontline.[12] 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.[9] In the evening, government troops managed to recapture the areas they lost.[1]

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.[1][13] Later during the day, government fighters launched a counter-attack against the Scientific Research Center,[1][14] and managed to enter the eastern outskirts of the Center but were forced to retreat outside the complex's walls after heavy shelling.[15] 12 more rebels and 12 soldiers were killed in the clashes.[7][10] As of 5 July, the attack on Jamiyat al-Zahra had largely failed, while the military was still attempting to recapture the Center.[16]

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.[8]

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.[17]

See also

• Siege of Aleppo (637)
• Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016)

References

1. "Syrian rebels advance in government-held Aleppo". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
2. "Infographic: "Fatah Halab" Military Operations Room – Coalition of 31 Rebel factions". Archicivilians. 18 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
3. "Rebel and Islamist groups form (another) op room "Ansar Al-Shariah" to take Aleppo city and its countryside". Reddit. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
4. Alessandria Masi (9 March 2015). "Aleppo Battle: Al Qaeda's Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Friend To Syrian Rebel Groups". International Business Times.
5. Joscelyn, Thomas (3 July 2015). "Al Nusrah Front, allies form new coalition for battle in Aleppo". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
6. "Pro-regime Sunni fighters in Aleppo defy sectarian narrative". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
7. sohranas. "The rebel battalions advance again inside al- Bohouth al- Ilmiyyah (the Scientific Research) area, while the helicopters intensify their strikes on the city of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
8. "Syrian Troops Repel Militants Attack on Aleppo Neighborhood". AP. 7 July 2015 – via The New York Times.
9. Leith Fadel. "Complete Field Report from Aleppo City: Ansar Al-Shari'ah on the Offensive". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
10. sohranas. "12 members of the regime forces killed in clashes in the city of Aleppo and its outskirts". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
11. "Syria military resists major rebel assault in Aleppo". BBC News.
12. "Syrian Islamist insurgents launch battle to seize government-held Aleppo". Reuters.
13. "The rebel battalions advance and break the first fortification towards the regime- held areas in the city of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
14. edward. "Violent clashes continue near the Scientific Research Center in Aleppo, and the regime forces attempt to regain control over the area". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
15. sohranas. "Violent clashes break out around the Scientific Research Center area, and more than 54 missiles and airstrikes target the area". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
16. "Syria army enters last rebel bastion by Lebanon border". Yahoo News. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
17. "Syrian troops repel militants attack on Aleppo neighborhood - US News". US News & World Report. Retrieved 7 July 2015.