aar ▁neighborhood s ▁that ▁surrounded ▁the ▁bes ie ged ▁Han ano ▁bar ra cks . ▁Loc als ▁called ▁it ▁the ▁worst ▁fighting ▁since ▁the ▁battle ▁began . ▁The ▁BBC ▁found ▁a ▁cache ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁manufact ured ▁in ▁Ukraine ▁and ▁addressed ▁to ▁the ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ian ▁Army . ▁The ▁am mun ition ▁was ▁stored ▁in ▁a ▁mos que ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁reb els . ▁Sa udi ▁and ▁Q at ari ▁were ▁sus pected ▁of ▁supp lying ▁am mun ition ▁to ▁the ▁reb els ▁but ▁not ▁heav ier ▁weapons , ▁such ▁as ▁anti - air craft ▁miss iles , ▁due ▁to ▁American ▁concerns ▁about ▁extrem ists ▁obtain ing ▁such ▁equipment . ▁ ▁On ▁ 9 ▁October , ▁reb els ▁claimed ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁town ▁of ▁Ma arr at ▁al - N u ' man , ▁a ▁town ▁on ▁the ▁Ale ppo / D am asc us ▁highway ▁from ▁where ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁rein for c ements ▁were ▁joining ▁the ▁battle . ▁Se izing ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁campaign ▁to ▁isol ate ▁the ▁Army . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁October , ▁reb els ▁launched ▁an ▁attack ▁against ▁the ▁Great ▁Mos que ▁of ▁Ale ppo ▁where ▁government ▁forces ▁were ▁based . ▁During ▁four ▁hours ▁of ▁fighting ▁reb els ▁tried ▁to ▁bl ast ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁mos que ▁with ▁R PG s ▁before ▁storm ing ▁the ▁site ▁but ▁were ▁rep elled , ▁leaving ▁re bel ▁sn ip ers ▁to ▁attack ▁the