Ahlul Bayt News Agency - A suicide bomber from Syria's al-Qaeda offshoot - the Nusra Front - has blown himself up at an army outpost in a contested neighbourhood of northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 25 soldiers and allied militia, a monitoring group says.
Monday's blast in Aleppo, also injured scores, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday.
The Observatory said that the explosion from the blast was heard across the city where several armed groups had recently launched an offensive to control the remaining western parts of the city which are in government hands.
Rebel websites said there was heavy bombardment of rebel-held portions of Jamiyat al-Zahra district, where rebels had gained ground and brought them closer to the heart of government-controlled parts of the city, which before the 2011 civil war was the country's main industrial and commercial hub.
According to Abdel Rahman, the head of the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, clashes broke out between foreign-backed Takfiri militants and Syrian forces following the blast.
Aleppo, which was once the country’s economic powerhouse, has been the scene of heavy fighting since 2012. The Syrian government mostly controls the western parts of Aleppo, while extremists have a strong presence in its eastern areas.
The deadly blast comes days after militants launched an offensive against government-held districts in Aleppo, firing several hundred rockets and projectiles into at least seven neighborhoods controlled by Damascus.
Following the attacks, Syrian fighter jets pounded militant positions in Aleppo, killing more than 100 Takfiris belonging to the ISIL terror group.
Syria has been facing foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri terrorist groups has reportedly left over 230,000 people dead so far.
source : abna
