Syrian troops backed by tanks and helicopters repelled a rebel attack on an army base in the northern city of Aleppo on Saturday after a 20-hour battle, military officials and witnesses said.
The government forces pushed rebels out of the Hanano military base, a fortress-like compound in the east of the city, parts of which rebels claimed to have captured on Friday, they said.
“There are a lot of victims on both sides,” a witness said.
A military official in Aleppo, Syria’s second city and commercial hub, said soldiers destroyed six armoured vehicles which rebels were using to transport weapons seized in the barracks.
“The rebels had thrown themselves full whole-heartedly into this offensive because they desperately need weapons,” the army source said on condition of anonymity.
The Hanano base serves as a weapons storage depot, a conscript recruitment centre and also houses the headquarters of the local branch of the military police and anti-riot police.