Reuters: Damascus expects tough but short battle for Aleppo
The Syrian government expects a tough battle for Aleppo, the city that has become the focal point of the country's long civil war, but is confident of victory and says it won't be a long fight.
Damascus aims to seal the border with Turkey, a major sponsor of the insurgents fighting President Bashar al-Assad, and to retake rebel-held areas of what was Syria's biggest city and industrial hub before the conflict began in 2011.
"These battles are not easy, but the day will come, God willing, when all Aleppo - its rural areas and the occupied part of the city - will return to state authority," Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said in an interview on Wednesday.
He declined to predict how long the campaign would last, but added: "I do not expect the battle of Aleppo to go on long."
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The Battle For The Syrian City Of Aleppo -- News Updates February 10, 2016
'500 dead' in Syria regime's Aleppo assault -- AFP
More than 500 killed in Syria's Aleppo offensive -- DW
Syrian monitoring group says at least 500 killed in Aleppo offensive -- Euronews
Russian-backed Aleppo offensive 'kills hundreds' -- Al Jazeera
Border hospitals overwhelmed by Russian-backed assault on Syria's Aleppo -- Reuters
Syrians recount 'hell' of Aleppo life under air strikes -- AFP
Syria invasion plan? Turkey will defend its ‘Aleppo brothers,’ says PM Davutoglu -- RT
Syrian, Russian forces carrying out ethnic cleansing around Aleppo: Turkish PM -- Reuters
Humanitarian efforts in Aleppo are at breaking point – this war has to end -- Dalia Al-Awqati, The Guardian
CNN inside Aleppo: A city on edge, trying to survive -- CNN