Rebels Pull Back in Aleppo

Rebel forces said that they had been forced to pull back from parts of Aleppo after government forces launched a ground assault. One rebel commander said that they had withdrawn from parts of the Salaheddin neighborhood and that it looks as if “this is going to be a long battle because of the ammunition shortage.” He said the rebels need a supply of 60 rocket-propelled grenades per day to counter government tanks and armored vehicles. Other rebel commanders said government troops were massing at the southern edge of the city, and that troops had already taken back parts of Salaheddin. State television reported that the Army had “cleaned” Salaheddin and killed “terrorists.”