PHOTO: Levant Front fighters on the move in the al-Zahra district of west Aleppo

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UPDATES 1830 GMT: Rebels have made a notable advance in al-Zahra in western Aleppo with the capture of the Military Research Center.

The victory is not only the seizure of a key regime position — it also opens up the regime-held area of New Aleppo to rebel attacks.

Photos of officers of the Fateh Haleb operations room inside the Center:

A map of the area, with the advance of the rebels in yellow:

Activists say hospitals are filled with regime casualties.

State news media is countering with claims of heavy rebel losses, showing graphic images of bodies:


ORIGINAL ENTRY: Rebels and the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra have renewed their offensive to take regime-held areas in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

On Thursday, 13 factions — including one of the largest, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jabhat al-Nusra — announced the formation of an operations room, Ansar as-Sharia, for the offensive. The new group appears to be working alongside the Fateh Haleb operations room, created in late April, and the Levant Front rebel bloc in the offensive.

The announcement of Ansar as-Sharia’s creation came as rebels launched attacks in the al-Zahra area of western Aleppo, forcing the Syrian army and militia to withdraw from the Great Prophet Mosque towards the ruined Air Force Intelligence building. Fighting is also reported in the Khalidiya and Ashrafiya districts.

The start of the attacks west of al-Zahra, with mortars, shelling, and movement of fighters towards a regime artillery base — regime troops can be seen fleeing from the bombardment:

Footage from a Jabhat al-Nusra outlet of the assault:

Video on Thursday night showed fighting at the Mahna housing complex (see map) and a nearby water facility:

Rebels indicated two weeks ago that they would seek to reunite Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, which has been divided since July 2012. Operations in the western section have taken parts of Khalidiya, Layramoun, and al-Rashidin.

In late April, rebel factions including Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam announced an operations room, Fateh Haleb, for their attacks. The relationship is still unclear between Ansar as-Sharia and Fateh Haleb, as well as the Levant Front rebel bloc, although all three are putting out announcements about the offensive.

REBEL FIGHTERS ALEPPO 2

Syrian State news agency SANA makes no reference to the rebel attacks, merely saying that the army “killed a number of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists and destroyed their arms and ammunition”. It claims “five citizens” were killed and 90 wounded by rockets fired “on many residential neighborhoods”.

The website also features a visit by Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi to Aleppo’s markets with the offer of a 4.625 billion SYP (about $15 million) grant:

Al-Halqi, heading an economic ministerial delegation, inspected the situation of Aleppo markets on a field visit on Thursday where he checked on the purchase and sale movement and the availability of food supplies.

He spoke to a number of citizens, shop owners and merchants who briefed him on the situation of the markets and their livelihood concerns.

Premier al-Halqi also met with industrial, economic, commercial and business figures through whom he wanted to get better acquainted with the situation of their sectors.

However, a pro-Assad website does write about the rebel attacks, claiming that 11 civilians were killed and 96 wounded by mortars and rockets. The site does not say how many troops were slain.


Family Says “Islamic State Fighter” in Jaish al-Islam Execution Video Was Actually in Rival Rebel Faction

[UPDATE 1845 GMT: A Jaish al-Islam spokesman responds to the claims:

This man was convicted for four crimes:

1. Joining the Islamic State;
2. Calling on other people to join it;
3. Forming a secret cell;
4. Opening fire on rebels during the fight with the Islamic State in Mesraba town [in East Ghouta].

He admitted these crimes and he was sentenced to death by the general court, not by Jaish al-Islam.

]

The family of one of the 18 “Islamic State fighters” shown in an execution video, posted by the leading rebel group Jaish al-Islam this week, say he was actually a bodyguard for the leader of a rival faction.

See Syria Feature: Rebel Faction Jaish al-Islam Releases Footage of Execution of Islamic State Captives

The man was identified as Omar Khabya in the video, from executions after fighting with the Islamic State in Damascus suburbs in April, but relatives said the victim’s real name is Khaled Khabya. They claim he was a bodyguard for Ahmed Taha, also known as Abu Subi, of Jaish al-Umma.

Jaish al-Umma was defeated by Jaish al-Islam in January in a campaign labelled “Cleansing the Country of the Filth of Corruption” by JAI leader Zahran Alloush. Jaish al-Umma was accused of abuses of power and criminality, including beatings, drug trading, and war profiteering.

Jaish al-Islam said that it executed 18 Islamic State fighters for war crimes against the people of the East Ghouta area near Damascus. Highlighting the Islamic State’s tactics, it put the captured men in orange jumpsuits, similar to those worn by victims beheaded or burnt alive by the militants.

A local activist claims that Jaish al-Umma was “heavily infiltrated by Daesh [Islamic State]”, making a clear division between the organizations difficult. He says, “Most of [the members] are still detained and will not be released by the general amnesty [announced by Jaish al-Islam this week], as that does not apply to Daesh.”


Regime Warplanes Pound Zabadani in Support of Ground Offensive

Syrian warplanes are pounding Zabadani in Damascus Province, hoping that Hezbollah and regime troops can move into the town.

Pro-opposition activists are reporting up to 50 airstrikes:

Pro-Assad outlets have been putting forth the goal of Zabadani’s capture, following a Hezbollah-led offensive that has taken territory near the Lebanese border.

There are conflicting reports on Friday about the ground attacks. Assad and Hezbollah supporters are claiming the capture of hills to the east, including Tal Al-Malta. Opposition activists are asserting heavy casualties for regime forces:

The rebel faction Ahrar al-Sham claims the attacks have been repelled.

Zabadani, northwest of Damascus, was one of the first towns captured by the Free Syrian Army, taken by the opposition in January 2012.


Cuts in Aid to Refugees: “How Are We Supposed to Feed Our Children?”

Al Jazeera English notes this week’s announcement by the UN World Food Programme that food vouchers for refugees in Lebanon and Jordan have been halved, beginning in July, to about $13.50 per month.

Um Haytham, a Syrian refugee, says she pays approximately $40 per month to buy milk for her baby. A packet of bread costs $1, while a kilo of tomatoes is just over $1 and a kilo of rice is about $3.

She says:

How are we supposed to feed our children, our babies, on this kind of money? This is not even enough to survive on….

It’s like we are the living dead here. How are we expected to survive?

The WFP says that it had to cut the vouchers because its aid appeal is 81% underfunded. It is warning that all assistance will be cut to refugees in Jordan in August, and possibly to those in Lebanon in September, if it does not receive an immediate injection of money.


Turkey Reinforces Border, But No Sign of Intervention Into Syria Yet

Turkey has deployed additional troops and equipment on the border, but there is no sign yet of a ground and aerial intervention inside Syria.

Last weekend, Turkish newspapers reported that the Government was pressing for the establishment of an occupied strip of about 100 square km (37 square miles), with a base in Jarablus, but that the military was resisting the plans.

See Syria Daily, July 2: Kurds Warn Turkey Against Intervention With Ground Troops
Syria Daily, June 29: Turkey Considers Intervention With Air Operations and Ground Troops

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday:

It’s correct that we have taken precautions to protect our border. If there’s any circumstance across the border that threatens Turkish security, orders to act have been given.

[But] no one should have the expectation that Turkey will enter Syria tomorrow or in the near term.

The Prime Minister added:

If anything occurred that were to threaten Turkish security, we wouldn’t wait for tomorrow, we would go right in.

But it’s wrong to expect that Turkey would undertake such a unilateral intervention in the immediate term if there is no such risk.

Turkish “security sources” said that rebels were defending Azaz, a key town near a border crossing, against Islamic State attacks on Thursday.

Davutoglu accused President Assad of cooperation with the Islamic State attacks in northern Syria against rebels.


Opposition Coalition Meets UN Envoy de Mistura

A delegation from the externally-based opposition Syrian National Coalition met the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Thursday in Geneva.

The Coalition said the discussion including a “political solution” and de Mistura’s views after his recent tour of Syria and neighboring countries. On Monday, the envoy is presenting his report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

The delegation included Coalition President Khaled Khoja and Vice Presidents Hisham Marwa and Mustafa Osso.


Pentagon Says US Drone Strike Kills Leading Islamic State Fighter

The Pentagon said Thursday that a US drone strike has killed Tariq al-Harzi, a senior Islamic State fighter in Syria, a day after another American drone killed his brother and fellow militant in Iraq.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the strike that killed Tariq al-Harzi occurred June 16 in Shaddadi in Hasakah Province in northeast Syria.

Davis said Harzi, a Tunisian national, was a “senior leader” who arranged the movement of fighters into Iraq and Syria and helped to smuggle weapons from Libya. The State Department has claimed that Harzi also arranged contributions of millions of dollars from foreign supporters.

“His death will impact ISIL’s ability to integrate foreign terrorist fighters into the Syrian and Iraqi fight as well as to move people and equipment across the border,” Davis said.

On June 15, another American drone killed Ali al-Harzi, Tariq’s brother, near the Iraqi city of Mosul. Ali al-Harzi was suspected of involvement in the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.