Annan fears imminent battle in Aleppo

International envoy for Syria Kofi Annan has said he feared an “imminent battle” in Aleppo, the country’s economic capital largely held by rebels.

“I am concerned about reports of the concentration of troops and heavy weapons around Aleppo, in anticipation of an imminent battle in Syria’s largest city,” he said in a statement published in Geneva late Saturday.

Annan, the joint envoy for the United Nations and the Arab League, reiterated his call for parties to the conflict to work towards a political solution.

“The escalation of the military build-up in Aleppo and the surrounding area is further evidence of the need for the international community to come together to persuade the parties that only a political transition, leading to a political settlement, will resolve this crisis and bring peace to the Syrian people,” he said.