The British Human Rights Observatory in Syria reported that a series of airstrikes reported on Thursday resulted in at least 12 fatal victims, and many injured. The numbers were confirmed by the Local Coordination Committees who added that five children were among the casualties. They also reported two women died along with the infants. The airstrikes targeted the districts of Salheen and Tariq al-Baab, which are under the control of the rebel forces. After the attacks, the government issues a temporary truce throughout all the nation that will last for three days.
A member of the Syrian Civil Defense squads named Ibrahim al-Haj gave more details on the aftermath of the attack. He said the bombs fell on a residential area and nearby mosque and that there were at least four people under the rubble. The attack is too fresh, so it is completely impossible to know if there are more victims.
The city is on its way to becoming a besieged area
As a part of the military offensive against the terrorist, the Syrian army aided by the airstrikes closed the Castello road last week successfully cutting the main supply lines the rebels have. However, thousands of civilians also live in the area, and according to the envoys of the United Nations, around 300,000 people were left completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Without food, medicine, and other essential needs, the people from Aleppo tried to use the Castello road to scout for supplies. According to Ibrahim al-Haj, the governmental forces opened fire on them resulting in an undisclosed number of wounded.
The conflict is worsening by the hour, and the people caught in the city are having the worst of it. Jan Egeland, a U.N. Humanitarian aid adviser, reported that military forces surround the eastern part of the city. This part of Aleppo is under the control of the rebels, and citizens cannot move freely which is worsened by the fact that the Syrian military does not allow any aid going in or out. Technically, this would be the newest besieged area as a result of the conflict, but according to the international standards, the situation has to last for three months to be considered so.
Obama’s administration recurs to last resort to end the conflict
John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, traveled to Russia today to meet President Putin. The Russian leader in an allied of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the American politician was sent to ask for a stop on the airstrikes against the rebels. Also, the Commission also seeks for the Syrian government to allow international aid into the affected regions, so the civilians don’t have to pay the full price of the war.
The American envoy did not arrive Moscow with empty hands. According to the information leaked by the Washington Post, and later confirmed by officials, the US government is willing to share intelligence and targeting information on the terrorist in the country. In fact, Kerry will meet Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov tomorrow to propose a “Joint Implementation Group” to deal with the jihadists.
Source: The New York Times