Syria claims control of Aleppo

Syria said its troops seized a rebel-held Aleppo district yesterday after storming it and "annihilating" most of the insurgents, as a long-threatened ground assault on the key city was launched.
The rebels promptly denied the claim, acknowledging that a "barbaric and savage attack" on the neighbourhood of Salaheddin was under way but later saying they had recaptured much of what they lost.
The offensive came as Amnesty International raised concerns about the plight of civilians in the commercial capital and warned both sides they would be held accountable for attacks on residential areas.
Early in the afternoon, state news agency SANA said "our brave armed forces have taken full control of the district of Salaheddin" and "inflicted heavy losses on groups of armed terrorists, killing or wounding a large number of them."
Dozens of rebels were captured, including foreigners, and others surrendered, SANA said. It said troops seized a large number of arms used by rebels "to terrify the inhabitants and to murder members of the forces of order."
State television said the "armed forces dealt violent blows to the mercenary terrorists" in Salaheddin, "annihilating most of the terrorists."
Hours later, rebel commander Wassel Ayub said the FSA had launched a counter-attack and retaken part of Salaheddin.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the rebels were making gains.
At least 33 people were killed in Aleppo, with a total of at least 98 people across the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
A total of 225 people -- mostly civilians -- died in Syria on Tuesday, one of the worst days for casualties in the nearly 17-month uprising the Observatory said last week had cost more than 21,000 lives.
Amnesty showed satellite images indicating an apparent increased use of heavy weapons in the Aleppo area, and warned forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad attacks on civilians would not go unpunished.
Amnesty said it was concerned the deployment of heavy weaponry in residential areas would lead to further human rights abuses and breaches of international law.