Comment: Before-and-After images of Aleppo's destruction

On July 19, 2012, Syrian rebels stormed Aleppo, Syria's largest city and commercial hub. The year since has been nothing less than a disaster for the city, here is a look at the before and after images.

The war between insurgents and the Syrian military has destroyed the lives of the civilians caught in the middle, killing thousands.

Aleppo's cultural patrimony has also been destroyed, a 17th century souq that was a UNESCO World Heritage Site burned to the ground, while the medieval citadel in the center of the city was damaged as Syrian soldiers once again transformed it into a military base.

Amnesty International has now published satellite images that drive home the indiscriminate destruction of Aleppo. By dragging the divider across the image above, you can see the destruction of three neighborhoods that have been wracked by street-to-street fighting, as well as shelling and even SCUD missiles used by the Syrian military.

Amnesty has also released satellite images that reveal how the destruction has spread since the rebel offensive last summer. From scattered damage in the north and near the old city last October, the violence has extended across Aleppo, wreaking havoc across a once-prosperous city.

© Foreign Policy, 2013