PHOTO: Rebels claim two-ton home-made “Omar” missile used for first time in Syrian conflict

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Rebels claim that they have struck a regime building in southwest Syria with a two-ton missile, in an attack initially attributed to Israel.

The attack on Wednesday was on the city of al-Ba’ath, also known as New Quneitra, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Initial reports from the area said two explosions, including at least one near the Governorate building, were from an Israeli airstrike. Local sources claimed an Israeli jet was seen circling the area, with one declaring that a “Hezbollah outposts” has been targeted.

However, a Syrian military source was cautious about any attribution: “There is information that there was a rocket which fell on one of a government headquarters in Quneitra in the area of the town of Baath.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a widely-quoted outlet which often recycles unconfirmed claims as fact, also said Israel had attacked.

However, the Israeli military adhered to its usual practice of making no comment. Lebanon’s Hezbollah also played down the possibility, declaring that the Israelis were only “monitoring” the area and the attack was by the jihadists of Jabhat al-Nusra.

Rebels: We Used an “Omar” Missile

On Wednesday, the rebel bloc Southern Front appeared to solve the mystery. The bloc said that it had deployed its largest home-made rocket so far in the Syrian conflict:

A pro-rebel journalist claimed that “many” regime troops had been killed in a military position targeted by the rocket.

Syrian Children Use Pokemon GO to Appeal for Help

Trying to take advantage of the global craze for Pokemon GO, activists have posted photos of Syrian children with pictures of themselves with Pokemon characters, asking people to help them.

“I’m in Kafr Nabouda in Idlib [Province], come save me”:

SYRIA CHILD POKEMON 1

“I’m in Kafranbel, Idlib. Come Save me”:

SYRIA CHILD POKEMON 2

Rebels: We Killed More Than 150 Pro-Assad Troops Near Aleppo on Wednesday

Pro-opposition and pro-regime outlets are offering sharply-contrasting accounts of a rebel attack on regime positions north of Aleppo city on Wednesday.

Rebel factions — including Nour al-Din al-Zenki, Faylaq al-Sham, and Ahrar al-Sham — and Jabhat al-Nusra launched the assault in an attempt to push back pro-Assad forces from fire control over the al-Castello Road, the last main route into opposition-held parts of Aleppo.

Pro-regime accounts initially said that the Syrian military had blunted the attack by destroying a Nusra vehicle suicide bomb and then seven armored vehicles, including 4 tanks and 3 BMPs.

However, rebels later said that they had killed more than 150 regime troops and foreign militia, including Iranian fighters. They also said they had attacked to the southwest of Aleppo city, blocking regime supply lines and killing more than 30 troops.

Faylaq al-Sham claimed that it had destroyed two tanks, three BMPs, and other technical vehicles.

A local source indicated that Wednesday’s attacks are an initial stage in the response to the pro-Assad advance north of Aleppo:

Rebels are systematically destroyed regime assets and killing scores of Assadists in al-Mallah [close to the al-Castello Road] to prepare their offensive. Meanwhile they blocked regime supply lines in Ramouseh.

Regime propaganda based solely on the fact that the rebels didn’t capture ground in al-Mallah.

The source said that Iran is providing an air bridge “landing many hundreds of fighters” in the regime’s Nayrab military airport near Aleppo. However, because of rebel fire control over the supply road in Ramouseh, they cannot reinforce regime lines in west Aleppo. Instead, they are heading to fronts north and east of Aleppo.

There were also clashes on Wednesday in the ongoing fight in the al-Zahra and Khalidiyah districts of western Aleppo city.

Rebels detonate an underground bomb beneath the regime’s traffic directorate, now used as a barracks, in Aleppo:

The pro-Assad forces captured nearby hills two weeks ago to establish their fire control over the al-Castello Road, with rebels closing the route to all traffic. The cut-off threatens a siege on up to 400,000 people in opposition districts of Aleppo city, according to activists.