▁forcing ▁re bel ▁forces ▁to ▁retre at . ▁O pp osition ▁activ ists ▁confirmed ▁that ▁Ale ppo ▁was ▁completely ▁surrounded ▁by ▁government ▁troops . ▁ ▁Arm ored ▁units ▁in ched ▁forward ▁on ▁Sal ah add ine ▁from ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁west . ▁Military ▁sn ip ers ▁deployed ▁on ▁ro o ft ops ▁and ▁t anks ▁were ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁streets . ▁Sn ip ers ▁were ▁also ▁position ed ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁round about ▁where ▁they ▁prevent ed ▁re bel ▁rein for c ements ▁and ▁supplies ▁from ▁entering ▁the ▁district . ▁ ▁Reb el ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁Sal ah ed d ine ▁▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 8 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁military ▁launched ▁an ▁off ensive ▁to ▁re take ▁Sal ah ed d ine , ▁a ▁re bel ▁strong hold ▁that ▁an ▁important ▁southern ▁supply ▁route . ▁The ▁military ▁hoped ▁to ▁link ▁up ▁with ▁troops ▁at ▁the ▁Ale ppo ▁Cit adel . ▁Reb el ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁reported ly ▁low ▁on ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁exha usted . ▁After ▁inten se ▁fighting ▁and ▁shell ing ▁in ▁the ▁district ▁throughout ▁the ▁day , ▁half ▁a ▁dozen ▁Army ▁t anks ▁bre ached ▁the ▁center . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁morning ▁of ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁art illery ▁shell ing ▁intens ified ▁as ▁more ▁t anks ▁moved ▁in . ▁F SA ▁units ▁began ▁to ▁depart . ▁By ▁mid - mor ning , ▁hundreds ▁of ▁re bel ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁pulling ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁district , ▁with ▁some