Activists: Syrian rebels free hundreds from prison
BEIRUT: Syrian rebels launched a new push in the northern province of Aleppo on Thursday to capture key symbols of the government and stormed a major section of a prison there, freeing hundreds of prisoners in the process, activists said.
The advance came amid a relentless air campaign by government forces that killed at least 11 people in an opposition held neighborhood of the provincial capital of Aleppo.
Activists said government aircraft dropped so-called barrel bombs — containers packed with explosives, fuel and scrap metal that inflict massive damage upon impact.
At least 246 people, including 73 children, have died in the past five days alone in similar aerial bombardment of the city, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The rebels on Thursday declared their intention to liberate Aleppo´s central prison and the Kweiras military air base east of the city.
Opposition fighters have been trying to capture the facilities for months.The prison, in particular, has been caught in the deadly stalemate of Syria´s civil war.
Rebels have been besieging the facility, estimated to have around 4,000 prisoners, for almost a year.
They have rammed suicide car bombs into the prison´s front gates twice, lobbed shells into the compound and battled frequently with the hundreds of guards and troops holed up inside.
Thursday´s push began when a suicide bomber from the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra brigade blew himself up at the gates.
That was followed by a ground offensive during which rebels managed to gain control of most of the facility.
The Observatory said at least 300 prisoners were freed by the rebels. The anti-government Aleppo Media Center said rebels had gained control over the prison.
