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Agence France Presse
August 23, 2012 Thursday 2:20 PM GMT
Syrian army retakes Aleppo's Christian areas
BEIRUT, Aug 23 2012
The Syrian army has recaptured Christian areas in the city of Aleppo
after heavy fighting with rebels, leaving streets desolated and
deserted apart from local youths on patrol, residents said on
Thursday.
"We have had the worst two days of our lives," Sonia, the wife of a
wealthy businessman in the northern city which is also Syria's
commercial capital, told AFP by telephone.
"If our house weren't built like a fortress, we'd all be dead. The
entrance is very badly damaged. We couldn't sleep all night," said the
resident of Telal, which the army seized on Wednesday along with
Jdeide and Sulamaniyeh.
Aleppo residents reported heavy exchanges in the heart of the city
during the army's offensive to recapture the three neighbourhoods
seized by the rebels at the weekend.
Of the three Christian quarters in the historic Old City of Aleppo,
Jdeide and Telal were once frequented by tourists for their
restaurants and handicraft shops.
The rebel Free Syrian Army had also seized the nearby neighbourhood of
Sulamaniyeh, most of whose inhabitants are Armenian Christians and
which is home to ancient monasteries and a Melkite Greek Catholic
cathedral.
The bishop of the cathedral on Farhat Square, left pockmarked by the
fighting, himself had to beat a hasty retreat before the rebels moved
in because of his pro-regime comments, another resident told AFP.
"The battles on Monday and Tuesday were very violent, and they lasted
for many long hours before the army managed to expel the rebels," said
a local who declined to be named. He said dozens of rebels were
rounded up.
"Hundreds of residents of the districts of Telal and Sulamaniyeh took
to the streets to celebrate and express their support for the army,"
he added.
"The army had to retake these neighbourhoods because many homes have
tunnels leading to the nearby citadel."
The state news agency SANA said civil defence and public services were
"sent back immediately to carry out the necessary repairs and restore
normal life to the neighbourhoods after they were cleansed of
terrorists."
Locals have set up "popular committees" to prevent their return,
according to residents and a security source.
"It's not very organised but there are youths especially in the
Armenian districts protecting buildings against any new incursions.
Some of them are armed and they can call on the army at any time to
intervene," a witness said.
After more than a month of fighting, the battle for Aleppo continued
with fierce clashes and bombardment in other neighbourhoods of the
city on Thursday, militants and residents said.
While much of the Sunni Muslim districts of Aleppo support the
anti-regime revolt in Syria, Christian communities in the heart of
Aleppo support President Bashar al-Assad for fear of an Islamist
takeover of the country.
Critics within the Christian minority have warned of the price to pay
for such support if the nominally secular regime falls.
According to researcher Fabrice Balanche, Aleppo has a population of
2.7 million people, of whom 85 percent are Sunnis and 10 percent
Christians, half of them Armenians and the rest Assyrians, Greek
Catholics and Maronites.
August 23, 2012 Thursday 2:20 PM GMT
Syrian army retakes Aleppo's Christian areas
BEIRUT, Aug 23 2012
The Syrian army has recaptured Christian areas in the city of Aleppo
after heavy fighting with rebels, leaving streets desolated and
deserted apart from local youths on patrol, residents said on
Thursday.
"We have had the worst two days of our lives," Sonia, the wife of a
wealthy businessman in the northern city which is also Syria's
commercial capital, told AFP by telephone.
"If our house weren't built like a fortress, we'd all be dead. The
entrance is very badly damaged. We couldn't sleep all night," said the
resident of Telal, which the army seized on Wednesday along with
Jdeide and Sulamaniyeh.
Aleppo residents reported heavy exchanges in the heart of the city
during the army's offensive to recapture the three neighbourhoods
seized by the rebels at the weekend.
Of the three Christian quarters in the historic Old City of Aleppo,
Jdeide and Telal were once frequented by tourists for their
restaurants and handicraft shops.
The rebel Free Syrian Army had also seized the nearby neighbourhood of
Sulamaniyeh, most of whose inhabitants are Armenian Christians and
which is home to ancient monasteries and a Melkite Greek Catholic
cathedral.
The bishop of the cathedral on Farhat Square, left pockmarked by the
fighting, himself had to beat a hasty retreat before the rebels moved
in because of his pro-regime comments, another resident told AFP.
"The battles on Monday and Tuesday were very violent, and they lasted
for many long hours before the army managed to expel the rebels," said
a local who declined to be named. He said dozens of rebels were
rounded up.
"Hundreds of residents of the districts of Telal and Sulamaniyeh took
to the streets to celebrate and express their support for the army,"
he added.
"The army had to retake these neighbourhoods because many homes have
tunnels leading to the nearby citadel."
The state news agency SANA said civil defence and public services were
"sent back immediately to carry out the necessary repairs and restore
normal life to the neighbourhoods after they were cleansed of
terrorists."
Locals have set up "popular committees" to prevent their return,
according to residents and a security source.
"It's not very organised but there are youths especially in the
Armenian districts protecting buildings against any new incursions.
Some of them are armed and they can call on the army at any time to
intervene," a witness said.
After more than a month of fighting, the battle for Aleppo continued
with fierce clashes and bombardment in other neighbourhoods of the
city on Thursday, militants and residents said.
While much of the Sunni Muslim districts of Aleppo support the
anti-regime revolt in Syria, Christian communities in the heart of
Aleppo support President Bashar al-Assad for fear of an Islamist
takeover of the country.
Critics within the Christian minority have warned of the price to pay
for such support if the nominally secular regime falls.
According to researcher Fabrice Balanche, Aleppo has a population of
2.7 million people, of whom 85 percent are Sunnis and 10 percent
Christians, half of them Armenians and the rest Assyrians, Greek
Catholics and Maronites.