▁district . ▁Later ▁that ▁day , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁employed ▁f ighter ▁j ets ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁to ▁bomb ▁re bel - h eld ▁districts . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁days , ▁the ▁government ▁sent ▁thousands ▁of ▁rein for c ements ▁to ▁Ale ppo . ▁The ▁troops ▁were ▁sent ▁mostly ▁via ▁the ▁M 5 ▁highway ▁connecting ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁Ale ppo ▁from ▁the ▁city ' s ▁south , ▁and ▁the ▁main ▁Ale ppo - L ata k ia ▁road ▁from ▁the ▁city ' s ▁west . ▁Reb els ▁conducted ▁dead ly ▁attacks ▁on ▁arriv ing ▁troops . ▁Among ▁the ▁rein for c ements ▁that ▁mass ed ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Ale ppo ▁were ▁special ▁forces ▁units . ▁By ▁day ' s ▁end ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁had ▁mass ed ▁around ▁Ale ppo ▁and ▁its ▁coun tr ys ide . ▁By ▁comparison , ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁re bel ▁f igh ters ▁from ▁around ▁northern ▁Sy ria ▁arrived ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁already ▁fighting . ▁Fight ing ▁ra ged ▁in ▁the ▁Old ▁City ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁districts ▁of ▁Jam ali ya , ▁Kal asse h , ▁and ▁B ust an ▁al - Q as r . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁July , ▁sk irm ishes ▁occurred ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁as ▁rein for c ements ▁continued ▁to ▁arrive . ▁Reb el ▁forces ▁advanced ▁to ▁the