Aleppo clashes continue, rebels make plea for arms

Violence continues in Syria's largest city Aleppo between Syrian government forces and the Syrian opposition. The government is vowing to crush the rebels whilst the rebels in turn are making a plea to the international community for heavy weaponry.

Reports from BBC News, France 24 and Reuters state that Syrian soldiers backed by helicopter have continued their offensive against rebels in the country's commercial capital. This second day of straight and fierce fighting is seeing the Syrian National Council (SNC) calling on the international community to send them heavy weaponry. He stated that the rebels "want weapons that would stop tanks and jet fighters." On a visit to Iran Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem claimed that the rebel forces "will definitely be defeated" in that battle. This statement contradicts another claim made by Colonel Abdel Jabbar al-Qqaidi the FSA commander in Aleppo who boasted that Aleppo would become a "graveyard" for the Syrian army's tanks. al-Qqaidi also claimed that the FSA "have destroyed eight tanks and some armored vehicles and killed more than 100 soldiers." al-Qqaidi also asked "the West for a no-fly zone," to prevent "a very great slaughter," he is expecting the Syrian army to commit in Aleppo.