▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁made ▁adv ances ▁in ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁district ▁of ▁Sal ah ed d ine , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁square , ▁lost ▁it ▁and ▁then ▁ret aken ▁it ▁after ▁a ▁length y ▁battle . ▁ ▁An ▁AF P ▁correspond ent ▁reported ▁inten se ▁street ▁batt les ▁in ▁Ark ou b ▁district . ▁The ▁ins urg ents ▁had ▁occupied ▁health ▁facilities ▁and ▁schools ▁as ▁makes h ift ▁bases . ▁There ▁were ▁signs ▁of ▁stra in ▁from ▁troops , ▁with ▁one ▁officer ▁adm itting ▁" the ▁battle ▁for ▁Ark ou b ▁is ▁as ▁t ough ▁as ▁the ▁struggle ▁for ▁Han ano " ▁last ▁month . ▁One ▁soldier ▁said ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁returned ▁home ▁once , ▁to ▁H oms , ▁in ▁three ▁months . ▁The ▁neighborhood s ▁of ▁B ust an ▁al - Q as r , ▁al - Hel k ▁and ▁al - H ay d ari ya ▁were ▁bom bed ▁by ▁Army ▁forces . ▁ ▁On ▁ 6 ▁October , ▁Sy rian ▁state ▁television ▁said ▁that ▁four ▁Tur ks ▁were ▁among ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁that ▁the ▁army ▁had ▁killed ▁there . ▁Iran ian ▁Press ▁TV ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Army ▁had ▁captured ▁the ▁Sh ak our ▁district , ▁but ▁the ▁F SA ▁said ▁they ▁rep uls ed ▁the ▁assault ▁after ▁heavy ▁cl ash es . ▁ ▁An ▁AF P ▁correspond ent ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Air ▁Force ▁was ▁continu ously ▁bomb ing ▁the ▁Bab ▁al - H ad id , ▁Ark ub ▁and ▁Sh