▁batt les ▁for ▁Ale ppo ▁before . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁text ed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁mobile / cell ph ones ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁that ▁read ▁in ▁part : ▁" You ▁have ▁two ▁choices ; ▁either ▁be ▁killed ▁facing ▁the ▁State ▁or ▁the ▁State ▁will ▁kill ▁you ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁you , ▁you ▁decide ... the ▁game ▁is ▁over ... the ▁count down ▁has ▁begun ▁to ▁exp el ▁all ▁milit ants ▁from ▁neighbor ing ▁countries ..." ▁The ▁message ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁all ▁Sy ri ans ▁with ▁subscri ptions ▁to ▁the ▁country ' s ▁two ▁cell phone ▁service ▁prov iders ▁in ▁the ▁Ale ppo ▁area . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁second ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁off ensive , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁growing ▁threat ▁of ▁cl ash es ▁between ▁the ▁reb els ▁and ▁a ▁Kur d ish ▁milit ia ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁PK K . ▁The ▁reb els , ▁who ▁grew ▁susp icious ▁over ▁some ▁Kur d ish ▁milit ants ' ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁government , ▁also ▁threatened ▁to ▁confront ▁groups ▁they ▁said ▁were ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁PK K ▁in ▁neighbor ing ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁Ta wh id ▁Brigade ▁commander ▁Abd ul ▁Q ader ▁S ale h , ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁Kur d ish ▁milit ia ▁surrender ▁and ▁" not ▁drag ▁themselves ▁into ▁a ▁losing ▁battle ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁their ▁fight ." ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁reb els ▁attempted ▁to ▁advance ▁into ▁the ▁Kur d ish - h eld ▁She ikh ▁Ma q s oud ▁district ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁where ▁they