▁Sy rian ▁government ▁was ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁stop ▁re bel ▁g ains ▁and ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁four ▁days ▁of ▁E id ▁to ▁rein force ▁their ▁forces . ▁ ▁Later , ▁a ▁re bel ▁commander ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁F SA ▁were ▁fighting ▁in ▁Ar q ou b , ▁Sir yan , ▁Z ah ra ▁and ▁Fir q an ▁districts ▁and ▁had ▁secured ▁S ule iman ▁al ▁Hal abi . ▁Local ▁activ ists ▁claimed ▁fier ce ▁cl ash es ▁were ▁occurr ing ▁around ▁the ▁Airport ▁and ▁that ▁reb els ▁were ▁trying ▁to ▁bes ie ge ▁the ▁N ai rab ▁base ▁just ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁center ▁of ▁Ale ppo ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁re bel ▁hands ▁with ▁sn ip ers ▁in ▁positions ▁to ▁block ▁counter att acks . ▁The ▁retre at ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁center ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁either ▁a ▁government ▁trap ▁or ▁signs ▁that ▁the ▁re bel ▁t actic ▁of ▁attack ing ▁the ▁government ' s ▁supply ▁lines ▁was ▁working . ▁Another ▁question ▁was ▁whether ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁bomb ▁Christian ▁and ▁Kur d ish ▁areas , ▁like ▁other ▁re bel - h eld ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁and ▁risk ▁drag ging ▁them ▁into ▁the ▁re bel ▁camp . ▁Reb els ▁who ▁had ▁taken ▁the ▁pre domin antly ▁Christian ▁areas ▁and ▁J de id ah , ▁where ▁Lawrence ▁of ▁Arab ia ▁once ▁stayed , ▁reported ▁int im id ation ▁by ▁the ▁reb els ▁who ▁fe ared ▁ret ali ation ▁from ▁both ▁sides ▁in ▁the ▁conflict . ▁The ▁reb els