Syrian rebels, al-Qaida fighters battle in Aleppo

Former allies have turned against each other and are fighting for control of a key checkpoint in the northern city

13 July 2013, 5:05 pm

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Buildings damaged by Syrian government airstrikes and shelling, in the Salah al-Din neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 (photo credit: AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)

BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say Syrian rebels and fighters from an al-Qaida-linked group have turned their guns on each other and are fighting for control of a key checkpoint in the northern city of Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Saturday’s clashes are focused on the strategic checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bustan al-Qasr district.

The checkpoint is the only gateway between rebel-held eastern districts and the city’s western areas, controlled by President Bashar Assad’s troops.

Earlier this week, al-Qaida-linked militants seized the checkpoint and closed it for several days, cutting the flow of food supplies to the city and triggering the confrontation.

Residents angry over the blockade have staged protests against the anti-Assad forces as food prices soar in Aleppo at the start of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan.