Syria truce ends: Aid convoys bombed in Aleppo, dozens of civilians die

September 19, 2016 Ahmed Rashed Syria Latest News
Syria truce ends: Aid convoys bombed in Aleppo, dozens of civilians die
Photage of the destroyed aid convoys after Assad regime's or Russian airstrikes targeted them

Assad regime’s or Russian warplanes bombed aid trucks near Aleppo destroying them late on Monday after a week-long ceasefire ended and the fighting erupted again.

Assad regime’s military on Monday declared that the seven-day ceasefire was over and accused the rebels of breaching the ceasefire and using it to strengthen their positions.

The attacks were carried out by either Assad regime’s or Russian aircraft, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that there had been 35 strikes in and around Aleppo since the truce ended officially at 1600 GMT.

The Observatory said at least 32 people were killed.

The war monitor said the aid trucks made a routine delivery to an area west of Aleppo city and were hit near the town of Urm al-Kubra, killing 12 people.

A local resident told Reuters by phone that the trucks were hit by around five missile strikes while parked in a center belonging to the Syrian Red Crescent in the town of Urm al-Kubra, near Aleppo. The head of the center and several others were badly injured.

An official with the Syrian Red Crescent confirmed aid vehicles operated by the group had been targeted by air strikes as warplanes resumed bombings in Aleppo province.

Staffan de Mistura, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, denounced the air raid. “Our outrage at this attack is enormous… The convoy was the outcome of a long process of permission and preparations to assist isolated civilians,” he said.

Heavy airstrikes

Sirens wailed as ambulances zipped through the eastern rebel-held half of the divided city, the correspondent said, describing the bombardment as “non-stop”.

The air strikes appeared particularly heavy in rebels-held areas west of Aleppo, near the rebel stronghold of Idlib province. And in eastern Aleppo, a resident reached by Reuters said there had been dozens of blasts.

“It started with an hour of extremely fierce bombing,” said Besher Hawi, the former spokesman for the opposition’s Aleppo city council. “Now I can hear the sound of helicopters overhead. The last two were barrel bombs,” he said, the sound of an explosion audible in the background.

Abu al-Baraa al-Hamawi, a rebel commander, said the most intense bombardments had taken in place in areas west of Aleppo, the same area where the aid convoy was hit. “The regime and Russians are taking revenge on all the areas,” he said.

The Russian military said rebels launched a major attack on a government position on Aleppo’s southwestern outskirts, forcing Syrian troops to respond.

“The attack by the terrorists was proceeded by a massive artillery bombardment … from tanks and rocket systems,” it said.

 

After declaring the end of the ceasefire, Assad reigme military blamed rebel groups for undermining the ceasefire that aimed to bring the country’s bloody five-year civil war to an end.

“It was assumed that the ceasefire will present a real chance to end the bloodshed, but terrorist groups did not adhere to any of the points of the agreement on a ceasefire, the number of violations on their part has exceeded 300,” reads the statement published by SANA news.

According to the statement, the “Syrian Army has shown the highest level of endurance in confronting the abuses by terrorist groups.”

It adds that the militants aimed to continue attacks on “residential areas” and military sites in several regions, including the war-ravaged city of Aleppo.

The Syrian crisis began as a peaceful demonstration against the injustice in Syria. Assad regime used to fire power and violence against the civilians and led to armed resistance. 450.000 Syrians lost their lives in the past five years according to UN estimates, and more than 12 million have lost their homes. Syria

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