Aleppo Military Council recognizes the Syrian National Coalition

WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA) – Syrian Revolution News Round- up / Day 617  

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the UK has decided to recognise the Syrian National Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

This came as the Military & Revolutionary Council in Aleppo including al-Tawheed Brigade denied proclamation of refusing to recognize the Syrian National Coalition and declaring an Islamic state. The council assured that Syria will be a civil state that respects all religions and ethnicities however; it demanded a further expansion of the new coalition to include more factions.

Clashes erupted in more than 114 different areas across the country. The rebels stormed an air defense base near the Turkish border in western Aleppo suburbs as well as the police academy in the Aleppo suburb of Khan Asal. Regime forces escalated their attacks on opposition areas across the country, shelling as many as 204 different areas mainly in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Idlib. They fired mortar shells on more than 69 areas while their heavy artillery pounded more than 109 others. Meanwhile, 26 areas came under rocket shelling and seven more were bombarded by barrel bombs. Some ten more areas were shelled by fighter jets. Regime forces killed more than 122 people, including seven children, four women and 49 rebel fighters in addition to injuring 70 others.

They killed 50 people in Damascus and its suburbs, most of them died due to the fierce and indiscriminate shelling in the southern Hajar Aswad district as well as in the provincial towns of Daraya, Douma, Harasta and Hejeira, meanwhile, ten more people were executed in the towns of Harasta, Moadamiya and Adra.

They also killed 27 people in Aleppo, of which six were executed in neighbourhood of Tariq al-Bab while 11 rebel fighters died during clashes on several fronts across the province. Some 12 rebel fighters were killed in the suburbs of Latakia and nine more people were killed in Idlib. Six people died in each of Raqa and Homs, five in Hasaka, three in each of Deir Azzour and Hama, two more in each of Daraa and Qunaiera. Coordinator of Syrian Refugees Affairs in Jordan Anmar al-Hmoud said that more than 4000 Syrians crossed into Jordan in the last five days; all were escorted to the Zatari refugee camp.