Syrians Battle for Control of Air Force Bases

AP
Connor Simpson 1,497 Views Sep 1, 2012

Reports out of Syria on Saturday say rebel forces launched attacks on three different air force bases in a fight to control the sky in the Syrian conflict. Rebel forces were able to capture an air force building near Deir al-Zor and took 16 people captive, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syrian television reported another air base near Aleppo was attacked, but regime forces were able to maintain control of the building. Another air base Idlib was attacked a few days ago. Rebel forces shot down an Army fighter jet earlier this week near Damascus. As the battle for control of the country wages on, Assad has increasingly relied on his air force in the fight against the rebels. "Assad's forces have carried out numerous air strikes on civilians in rebel-held areas. Helicopters have strafed towns with heavy machineguns, and jets have unleashed rockets and bombs against opposition strongholds," explains Reuters' Dominic Evans. Meanwhile, according to Bashar al-Assad, everything is just fine

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