Prepared by Syrian Network for Human Rights:
Khan al Assal is located in the East of Aleppo Western countryside, Aleppo gate of west side.
Photo shows the area controlled by Syrian Regime and Free Syrian Army before liberation battle:
Khan al Assal has strategic location, controlling it considered as full provisions on the north side of Syria, Saturday 20/7/2013, armed opposition started wide attack in order to end the Syrian regime control over the town of Khan al-Assal, Free Syrian Army brigades and other brigades not belonging to FSA participated in this battle.
Brigades participated are (Al-Nusra front, Ninth brigade, Nineteenth brigade, Ansar brigade).
The battle started with targeting guard point of governmental army in the southern and north neighborhoods of Khan al-Asaal town, then began infiltrating from the south side of Aleppo- Damascus highway, where FSA controlled the highway and kept moving towards the southern neighborhood, in conjunction with FSA (Ninth brigade) progress towards the north neighborhood and totally controlled it.
In this while government forces fortified in the southern neighborhood and after clashes lasted for hours Ansar brigade could controlled over east of the town, also Nur al Din Zangi brigades controlled over Alsahafeen region in the west region.
Tuesday 23/7/2013: besieged Regime’s Army and then Declaration the complete control on Khan Alasal town.
This battle led to kill 27 fighters of FSA according to SNHR’s documentation by name, video, and photo:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13sPLLIr6yEc3JRy6m62byIXCmvM82NgbMLegJpg08FE/edit?usp=sharing
Fighters participated in the fights estimated that Syrian Regimes’ victims are almost 300 soldiers, SNHR couldn’t verify the accuracy of the number and communicate with their families.
Armed Opposition’s Participated brigades arrested almost 60 soldiers of Syrian Regime, they kept almost 45 captives they have arrested in order to exchange them with prisoners by Syrian Regime, while Nusra Front executed all the prisoners who arrested , they were almost 25 prisoners.
Legal conclusions:
Al Nusra Front has violated the third Geneva Convictions, Article 3 (Non-International Armed Conflict) including prohibition of outrages upon life and physical safety, and murder of all kinds.
It is also clear violation on rule 128 of customary IHL, which states:
A. Prisoners of war must be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities.
Execution prisoners is a war crime punishable by IHL, prisoners’ rights culture most be published among fighters in Syrian Territories.
Syrian Network for Human Rights calls political opposition, especially National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to practice pressure on all armed opposition fractions to full compliance with the Four Geneva Convictions and International Humanitarian Law, and apply it and embodied it on the ground, as it is not justify at all for the Syrian Regime to commit torturing to death acts or unlawful execution, and to commit the armed fractions the same crimes as revenge it is not justified.