??? | Aleppo

Who and What:

Long-term trends for the city of Aleppo:

Within the beltway: Government/rebel control is generally split West/East, with the usual major conflict zones being the Old City (downtown Aleppo, surrounding the castle) and the Palace Gardens neighborhood (‘Bustan al-Qasr’ on the map, southwest of the Old City).

Immediately outside the beltway: government/rebel control is generally the opposite of the inner beltway, with government forces controlling Aleppo International Airport (which also houses Al-Nayrab Military Aiport) to the east, and rebels of various stripes advancing from the west, from areas such as Huraytan, Dar t’Azza, and Urum al-Kubra.

Farther out: the north-northwestern suburbs play host to opposition ‘arrivals’ from the Turkish border, as well as to Kurds (e.g. Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood) and Turkmen (e.g. Sheikh Khider neighborhood). The northeastern front is dominated by the ongoing Islamist-v-government clashes in the Sheikh Nijar Industrial Complex zone; farther out, the northeastern front is characterized moreso by artillery and air bombardment on Islamist- and Nusra Front-controlled settlements just outside of ISIL country (see the “Eastern Region” page for more details). The southern front is largely under government control, with particular focus on the International Highway (south) and the district capital of al-Safirah (southeast).