Sat Apr 26, 2014 08:13:30
Syria's northern city of Aleppo has been hit by a blackout for seven days in a row after foreign-backed militants cut off the power lines to the government-held areas of the war-ravaged city.
The so-called Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is tied to the Syrian opposition, said in a report on Friday that a militant-run court “ordered high-tension power lines be cut off as a way to put pressure” on the Syrian government.
The sabotage report came as forces of the Syrian army made advances in a number of neighborhoods of the city as well as some surrounding villages, where several insurgents were killed and their weapons destroyed.
Meanwhile, Syrian security sources said 18 Syrian civilians were wounded in a mortar attack by militants targeting an area near the capital city of Damascus.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. An estimated 140,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by the Western-backed insurgents.
According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are supporting the insurgents operating inside Syria.
NTJ/MB
string(1450) "[{"id":"1572687","sort":"3196338","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/03/05/alalam_635296584903093935_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syrian army kills scores of militants in Aleppo’s Hanano"} ,{"id":"1572749","sort":"3196339","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/03/06/alalam_635296939517140811_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"ISLI militants destroy holy shrine near Syria’s Aleppo"} ,{"id":"1578671","sort":"3196340","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/03/24/alalam_635312578296531762_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"5 militant commanders killed in Aleppo prison clashes"} ,{"id":"1580368","sort":"3196341","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/03/29/alalam_635317323595422335_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syria army purges militants in Lattakia, Aleppo, Homs"} ,{"id":"1582429","sort":"3196342","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/04/05/alalam_635323188620712130_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syrian army crush insurgent intruders in Aleppo, Lattakia"} ,{"id":"1584614","sort":"3196343","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/04/12/alalam_635329360932599500_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syria forces kill 120 foreign militants in Aleppo op"} ,{"id":"1584812","sort":"3196344","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/04/13/alalam_635330011981925956_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syrian army launches fresh operations in Aleppo"} ,{"id":"1586308","sort":"3196345","contenttypeid":"21","pic":"/2014/04/18/alalam_635334094156696343_25f_4x3.jpg","title":"Syrian army foils attack on barracks in Aleppo, kills 20 Qaeda terrorists"} ]"