- The Islamic Front rebel alliance claims responsibility for the attack
- The group says it killed at least 50 regime soldiers
- State-run TV says the Syrian army killed scores of terrorists
- Well over 100,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war
(CNN) -- Syrian rebels bombed a hotel used as a base for government forces, the latest massive attack in the seesaw battle for the country's largest city.
The Islamic Front, Syria's most powerful rebel alliance, claimed responsibility for the blast on Twitter. The group said it targeted the Carlton Citadel Hotel and several other buildings in the old city of Aleppo.
According to the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 14 people were killed and dozens were injured.
The blast took place near historical ruins in Aleppo.
A mosque is seen through shattered glass in Homs, Syria, where an evacuation truce went into effect on Wednesday, May 7. The United Nations estimates more than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria since an uprising in March 2011 spiraled into civil war. 
A wounded man is treated at a makeshift hospital in Aleppo, Syria, on Sunday, May 4. 
Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters said was an operation to strike a checkpoint and remove government forces in Maarat al-Numan, Syria, on Monday, May 5. 
A man helps a woman through debris after reported airstrikes by government forces on Thursday, May 1, in the Halak neighborhood of Aleppo. 
Syrians gather at the site of reported airstrikes in Aleppo on May 1. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack. 
A woman runs after two barrel bombs were thrown, reportedly by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on May 1. 
A boy runs in Aleppo on Sunday, April 27, after what activists said were explosive barrels thrown by forces loyal to al-Assad. 
Security and emergency medical personnel work at the site of a car bomb explosion Monday, April 14, in the Ekremah neighborhood of Homs. 
In this photo released by the state-run SANA news agency, Syrian forces take positions during clashes with rebels near the town of Rankous, Syria, on Sunday, April 13. 
Flames engulf a vehicle following a car bomb Wednesday, April 9, in the Karm al-Loz neighborhood of Homs. 
A man carries a child who was found in the rubble of an Aleppo building after it was reportedly bombed by government forces on Monday, March 18. 
An elderly man and a child walk among debris in a residential block of Aleppo on March 18. 
A woman with blood on her face carries a child following a reported airstrike by government forces Saturday, March 15, in Aleppo. 
People attempt to comfort a man in Aleppo after a reported airstrike by government forces on Sunday, March 9. 
Buildings in Homs lay in ruins on March 9. 
Syrian forces fire a cannon and a heavy machine gun loaded on a truck as they fight rebels in the Syrian town of Zara on Saturday, March 8. 
A handout photo released by SANA shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaking March 8 during a meeting in Damascus, Syria, to mark the 51st anniversary of the 1963 revolution, when Baath Party supporters in the Syrian army seized power. Al-Assad said the country will go on with reconciliation efforts along with its fight against terrorism. 
Syrians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings in Aleppo following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces on Friday, March 7. 
People dig through the rubble of a building in Damascus that was allegedly hit by government airstrikes on Thursday, February 27. 
A boy walks ahead of men carrying the body of his mother in Aleppo on Saturday, February 22. According to activists, the woman was killed when explosive barrels were thrown by forces loyal to al-Assad. 
A man holds a baby who survived what activists say was an airstrike by al-Assad loyalists Friday, February 14, in Aleppo. 
In this photo provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center, Syrian men help survivors out of a building in Aleppo after it was bombed, allegedly by a Syrian regime warplane on Saturday, February 8. 
Syrians gather at a site hit by barrel bombs, allegedly dropped by a regime helicopter on the opposition-controlled Mesekin Hananu district of Aleppo on February 8. 
In this handout photo released by the state-run SANA news agency on February 8, civilians wave national flags in Damascus as they take part in a rally in support of President al-Assad. 
A man stands next to debris in the road following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces in Aleppo on February 8. 
Medical personnel look for survivors after a reported airstrike in Aleppo on Saturday, February 1. 
Syrians carry a dead body following an airstrike on February 1. 
A man walks amid debris and dust on January 31. 
An injured man is covered in dust after an airstrike on January 29. 
A man tries to fix electrical wires in Aleppo on January 27. 
Rebels and civilians check out a crater that activists say resulted from a Syrian government airstrike on an Aleppo bus station on Tuesday, January 21. 
Men rush to a site that Syrian government forces reportedly hit in Aleppo on January 21. 
Buildings lie in ruins in Aleppo on Sunday, January 19, after reported air raids by Syrian government planes. 
A child collects items from a garbage pile in Douma, Syria, northeast of the capital, on Saturday, January 18. 
A piece of exploded mortar lies in a street in Daraya, a Syrian city southwest of Damascus, on Friday, January 17. 
Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency described an "enormous attack on Aleppo old city antiquities launched by terrorists ... blowing up tunnels they dug under archeological buildings."
Syrian state-run TV said the army confronted "terrorist mercenaries as they tried to clash with the army after they dug a tunnel and detonated their bomb."
A military source said the Syrian army managed to control the area and "killed scores of these terrorists," the network said.
State-run TV reporter Chadi Hilwe said Thursday is also the third day Aleppo is facing a water shortage because terrorists targeted a water treatment plant.
Government forces and rebels have been battling for control of Aleppo throughout Syria's 3-year-old civil war.
The uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began in 2011, with dissidents seeking democratic reforms and greater freedoms. Al-Assad's family has ruled Syria for 43 years.
After a fierce government crackdown, the peaceful protests spiraled into an armed rebellion, with rebels demanding al-Assad's ouster.
The Syrian regime has consistently said it is battling "terrorists."
As the battles rage on, foreign fighters -- including radical militants -- have joined both sides of the civil war.
Well over 100,000 people, including many civilians, have been killed in the past three years.
No comments:
Post a Comment