MESOP TODAYS UPDATE ALEPPO : Rebels Attack Again in West Aleppo; Kurdish Militia Ally With Regime in East

October 30 – By Scott Lucas – eaworldview –  UPDATE 0845 GMT: Rebels have launched a new attack on the New Aleppo district in western Aleppo city. Rebel fighters are also moving inside the 3000 Housing complex just to the south (see map). The attack is being accompanied by shelling of the Assad Academy, an important regime base for training and operations, further to the west.Footage on outskirts of the 3000 Housing area: ORIGINAL ENTRY:

Rebels continued their offensive in western Aleppo city on Saturday, while Kurdish militia allied with pro-Assad forces to take Islamic State territory on the eastern side.Rebel gains on the second day of their major offensive on the western front were not as dramatic as on Friday; however, they did advance in the Zahra district following a large vehicle bomb.

Rebels took several positions in the area, which has been contested for years. They pulled back from one, the Family House Amusement Park, after pro-Assad forces blew up several buildings, raising the possibility of Russian and regime airstrikes.

Rebels also captured the village of Minyan, to the west of the New Aleppo district.The offensive began on Friday with rebels capturing almost all of the Dahiyat al-Assad district for the first time. Pro-Assad forces tried to counter-attack yesterday, but with no reports of success.

Rebels also secured almost all of the 1070 Housing complex and moved into the neighboring 3000 Housing area.The offensive is just to the north of the rebel advance from late July in the Ramouseh area, which briefly broke the Russian-regime siege of opposition areas of Aleppo.The pro-Assad forces, enabled by Russian airstrikes, re-imposed the siege in late August with the recapture of a large artillery base. www.mesop.de