The
Syrian Army is reportedly preparing for a large-scale offensive in
Aleppo, with the
US State Department citing credible reports of tank columns moving into the city, backed by special forces, helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft.
(Al-Jazeera)
The pro-government newspaper Al-Watan calls the incoming operation 'the mother of all battles'.
(Al-Jazeera)
At least 200 people are killed in violence throughout the country according to the
Local Coordination Committees of Syria. The toll is highest in Aleppo and the capital
Damascus, where a total of 94 are killed. Dozens of casualties are reported from
Idlib,
Daraa and
Homs as well.
(CNN)
A bomb explosion in a crowded market in
northwestern Pakistan close to the Afghan border kills at least seven people.
(USA Today)
Insurgents attack an
Iraqi Army checkpoint north of
Baqubah, downing a helicopter and sparking an intense firefight. At least 19 people are reported killed, including 11 policemen and a soldier.
(San Francisco Chronicle)
Officials in
Beijing raise the death toll from weekend flooding to 77 after rescuers located additional bodies. This follows criticism, including from the
Chinese state media, of the city's handling of the storm.
(Wall Street Journal)