Beginning in late 2012, fighting intensified around the area of the airport. The al-Nusra Front unilaterally declared a no-fly zone in December and threatened to shoot down commercial aircraft, alleging that the government was using them to transport loyalist troops and military supplies. After multiple attacks on Aleppo International Airport, all flights were suspended on 1 January 2013. Rebels attacked loyalist troops at the airport perimeter, including the nearby Brigade 80. By mid-February, at least 150 people had died in this fighting.