Civilians despair as Syria army advances in Aleppo

AFP, ALEPPO, Syria: The Syrian army advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding the rebel-held east with strikes that killed dozens and added to the despair for more than 250,000 civilians under siege.
The US military meanwhile announced its first combat loss in Syria, saying a service member had been killed by a bomb during an offensive against the Islamic State group.
Ten days into the Syrian government’s renewed bid to recapture all of battered second city Aleppo, regime bombardment has killed nearly 190 civilians and left residents desperate for respite.
The regime is hoping to score its most important victory yet of the five-year civil war, dealing a potentially decisive blow to the rebels by recapturing eastern neighbourhoods they overran in 2012.
Civilians in the east have been under siege by the army since July, with food and fuel supplies dwindling and international aid completely exhausted.
On Thursday alone, 32 civilians were killed in air strikes and artillery fire on eastern neighbourhoods, among them five children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“I’m terrified by the army’s advance and the increasing bombardment,” said Abu Raed, a father-of-four living in Fardos neighbourhood.
“There’s no safe place for me and my family.”The Observatory said the army now controlled more than 60 percent of the
strategic Masaken Hanano district and was pushing on.Masaken Hanano is east Aleppo’s largest district and its capture would cut the rebel-held sector in two.
The advances have been accompanied by relentless air and artillery bombardment,with medical staff in the east accusing the army of dropping barrel bombs filled with chlorine gas.
Damascus and its ally Moscow have repeatedly denied any illegal, military use of the chemical.
Retaliatory rocket fire by the rebels has killed at least 18 civilians in the government-held west, 10 of them children, according to the Observatory.

 

Civilians despair as Syria army advances in Aleppo

AFP, ALEPPO, Syria: The Syrian army advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding the rebel-held east with strikes that killed dozens and added to the despair for more than 250,000 civilians under siege. The US military meanwhile announced its first combat loss in Syria, saying a service member had been killed by a bomb during an offensive against the Islamic State group. Ten days into the Syrian governments renewed bid to recapture all of battered second city Aleppo, regime bombardment has killed nearly 190 civilians and left residents desperate for respite. The regime is hoping to score its most important victory yet of the five-year civil war, dealing a potentially decisive blow to the rebels by recapturing eastern neighbourhoods they overran in 2012. Civilians in the east have been under siege by the army since July, with food and fuel supplies dwindling and international aid completely exhausted. On Thursday alone, 32 civilians were killed in air strikes and artillery fire on eastern neighbourhoods, among them five children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Im terrified by the armys advance and the increasing bombardment, said Abu Raed, a father-of-four living in Fardos neighbourhood. Theres no safe place for me and my family.The Observatory said the army now controlled more than 60 percent of the strategic Masaken Hanano district and was pushing on.Masaken Hanano is east Aleppos largest district and its capture would cut the rebel-held sector in two. The advances have been accompanied by relentless air and artillery bombardment,with medical staff in the east accusing the army of dropping barrel bombs filled with chlorine gas. Damascus and its ally Moscow have repeatedly denied any illegal, military use of the chemical. Retaliatory rocket fire by the rebels has killed at least 18 civilians in the government-held west, 10 of them children, according to the Observatory.