An airstrike hit a refugee camp in Syria and killed at least 28 people near the Turkish border on Thursday. Also, there was reported fighting that blew up in many parts of northern Syria, despite a temporary deal to cease hostilities in the city of Aleppo.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, among the fatalities were women and children. The number of deaths from the airstrikes, which hit a camp for internally displaced people near the town of Sarmada, was likely to increase.
There was also footage shared on social media that showed rescue workers putting out fires which still burned among charred tent frames, lying in a muddy field. White smoke surged from the simmering ashes, and a burned and bloodied torso that could also be seen in the footage.
Refugee camp didn’t work out
Abu Ibrahim al-Sarmadi, an activist from the nearby town of Atmeh who spoke to people near the camp, said that there were two aerial strikes that hit the makeshift camp for refugees who have been taking refuge from fighting in southern Aleppo and Palmyra.
Also, Nidal Abdul Qader, an opposition civilian aid official who lives about 1 km (half a mile) from the camp said that around 50 tents and a school were burned down due the attack.
“The victims were innocent civilians who had fled their homes to escape violence. These individuals are in the most desperate situation imaginable, and there is no justification for carrying out military action that’s targeting them,” said Josh Earnest, spokesman from the White House.
War over peace
Russia and the US agreed Wednesday to extend the ceasefire in Syria to Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city. The Syrian government has accepted the terms of the agreement, with the Syrian Army saying the ceasefire will come into effect on Thursday night and will last for 48 hours.
Russia’s role
Syrian rebels accuse Russia of using artillery to support the two-week assault. But while Assad clearly wants to conquer Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, Russian analysts say international prestige is the Kremlin’s main goal
Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center said that Moscow is much more interested in the peace process. This kept them in a unique position as a diplomatic co-equal with the U.S. than in Assad reconquering the other half of Aleppo.
“Russia’s public optimism points to its interest to see the negotiating process back on track,” said Trenin.
Source: Middle East Eye