Located in the northwestern area of the country, Aleppo is Syria’s largest city and commercial hub, with a population of over two million people.

On 15 July 2012, the International Committee of the Red Cross characterized the escalating conflict as a “civil war” and the Aleppo assault as “urban warfare at its worst.” Various reports indicate that government and opposition forces have continued to clash both around and within the city. The conflict in Aleppo has led to accounts of heavy fighting, widespread shelling by tanks and artillery, and numerous civilian casualties.

In August 2012, Amnesty International, USA (AIUSA) requested the assistance of the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to investigate the veracity and details of human rights-related reports stemming from the escalating conflict in Aleppo. The resulting Geospatial Technologies Project, part of the AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program, focuses on the responsible application of geographic technologies across a range of human rights and humanitarian issues and how these technologies can be used to improve research and documentation.

Download satellite imagery analysis for urban conflict documentation in Aleppo

Photo: Smoke rises after a Syrian Air Force fighter jet launched missiles at al-Idha`a district in Syria`s northwestern city of Aleppo. Source: Reuters.