Reports from Syria say at least 45 were killed and up to 175 wounded in government air-raids on rebel-controlled areas of Bab and Qabaseen outisde Aleppo Dec. 26, with the regime again using deadly "barrel bombs [4]"—steel drums full of shrapnel and explosives. Syrian state media said it repulsed "terror attacks," hitting jiihadists—but giving no details of civilian casualties. Government forces also intensified their attack on opposition-controlled areas of Damascus, carrying out more than 85 air-strikes on several points in the Ghouta suburb over the last four days. (ANA Press [5], Dec. 27; Euronews [6], Dec. 26)
Rebel groups in Aleppo governorate meanwhile formed a new alliance called the Shamiyya Front, including factions from the Islamic Front [7], the Mujahideen Army, the Noureddin al-Zinki Brigades and other groups. This seems to represent a further consolidation of "moderate" Islamist factions ahead of peace talks with the Damascus regime tentatively to begin in Msocow later this month. (Al Arabiya [8], Dec. 26)
