Nearly 200 soldiers killed, of both pro and anti-Assad forces, in battle over police academy; opposition leader visits Aleppo-adjacent rebel-held areas
"Rebels have seized most of a police academy in Khan al-Assal in Aleppo province... after eight days of fighting that left 200 troops and rebels dead," The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights reported Sunday
According to evaluations, some 120 people of 200 dead were soldiers in President Bashar Assad
's army.
The anti-Assad Aleppo Media Center distributed videos shot by rebels, showing the facility of the police academy completely destroyed by rocket hits, shooting and fire.
A black flag is seen in the video, over one of the building of the academy, and a torn poster of President Assad.
Meanwhile, Mouaz al-Khatib,
the chief of the Syrian National Coalition has, for the first time, visited rebel-held areas near the embattled city of Aleppo in northern Syria.