Syrian forces conduct qualitative operation in Aleppo, Annan worried about imminent battle

DAMASCUS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Syrian government forces carried out a qualitative operation in a rebel-held neighborhood in the northern Aleppo province on Saturday, private Addounia TV said, as international special joint envoy for Syria Kofi Annan said he is worried about an imminent battle there.

The TV said armed groups retreated from the western part of Salahuddien neighbourhood Saturday after the army's qualitative operation that inflicted heavy losses on the armed rebels.

Salahuddien is the first neighbourhood to fall in the hands of the rebels days ago.

The TV also said that a big blast rattled a building in the same neighborhood, adding that the building has been used as a factory to manufacture explosives by the rebels.

The blast killed a large number of armed men, the TV said, adding that lots of armed men have been arrested in another district, al-Eza'a.

The battles in Aleppo started a week ago, when the armed rebels announced the commencement of the battle "to free Aleppo" after being dislodged from the capital Damascus.

Aleppo, the commercial hub of Syria, witnessed intense clashes Saturday in what some pro-government media said was the army's operation to regain control of the city.

The pro-government al-Watan daily said the battle in Aleppo is "the mother of all battles," adding that the army has started a very delicate operation to root out terrorism from Aleppo.

Meanwhile, special joint envoy Annan expressed concern about the situation in Aleppo, saying that "I am concerned about reports of the concentration of troops and heavy weapons around Aleppo in anticipation of an imminent battle in Syria's largest city."

In a statement issued Saturday and obtained by Xinhua, Annan said, "I remind the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and urge them to exercise restraint and avoid any further bloodshed."

"I believe that the escalation of the military buildup in Aleppo and the surrounding area is further evidence of the need for the international community to come together to persuade the parties that only a political transition leading to a political settlement will resolve this crisis and bring peace to the Syrian people," he said.

Observers believe that the rebels are the ones who have chosen to turn Aleppo into a battle ground in a bid to take over the city, which is close to the Turkish border, thus repeating the Libyan scenario of having a launching-pad for their assaults against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Enditem