Rebels attack al-Assad forces in battle for Aleppo

2014-08-19 22

Islamic Front rebels fire at targets purportedly belonging to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

(Natsound - "We got him! We got him! God is the greatest.")

Anti-Assad rebel groups are battling Syrian government forces for control of Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

The rebels have held the city for almost two years with Western support -- but the government appears to be gaining ground.

Here, a factory burns, apparently after an aerial bombing by government forces, although civil defense workers at the scene say noone was killed.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CIVIL DEFENSE WORKER SAYING:

"The regime is targeting the same neighborhood, the same spot repeatedly at the same time, thereby hindering the rescue and evacuation process we are trying to do."

But it's not just Assad's regime the rebels are fighting.

They're also being threatened by the encroaching Islamic State, the fundamentalist group that is sweeping across northern Syria and I