els ▁had ▁rep elled ▁the ▁assault , ▁but ▁the ▁bomb ard ment ▁continued . ▁Among ▁the ▁F SA ▁f igh ters ▁killed ▁was ▁a ▁batt alion ▁commander . ▁On ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁fighting ▁continued ▁in ▁Sal ah ed d ine . ▁Sy rian ▁Army ▁soldiers ▁were ▁reported ly ▁defect ing , ▁bringing ▁their ▁t anks . ▁In ▁the ▁evening , ▁state ▁media ▁reported ▁that ▁Sal ah ed d ine ▁had ▁been ▁re capt ured ▁by ▁the ▁Army . ▁The ▁opposition ▁contr arily ▁claimed ▁to ▁control ▁ 3 5 ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Cont in ued ▁re bel ▁advance ▁▁ ▁In ▁late ▁July ▁and ▁early ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁F SA ▁continued ▁its ▁off ensive ▁in ▁Ale ppo , ▁with ▁both ▁sides ▁suffering ▁high ▁cas ual ties . ▁Reb el ▁command ers ▁said ▁their ▁main ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁city ▁center . ▁Reb els ▁seized ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁check point ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁An ad an ▁north ▁of ▁Ale ppo , ▁gain ing ▁a ▁direct ▁route ▁between ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁the ▁Turkish ▁border , ▁an ▁important ▁re bel ▁supply ▁base . ▁They ▁also ▁captured ▁Al - B ab , ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁an ▁army ▁base . ▁Later , ▁reb els ▁attacked ▁the ▁Min akh ▁air ▁base , ▁ 3 0   km ▁north west ▁of ▁Ale ppo , ▁with ▁arms ▁and ▁t anks ▁captured ▁at ▁the ▁An ad an ▁check point . ▁O pp osition ▁forces ▁continued ▁to