22 civilians dead in attacks in Syria's Aleppo: Monitor
Sunday's attack in rebel-held Aleppo was the bloodiest since a fragile ceasefire had reduced fighting according to a monitoring group
Syrian rescue workers and residents help an injured woman following a reported air strike by government forces on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Haydariya in the northern city of Aleppo (AFP)
Published date: 18 April 2016 09:13 BST
|
Last update: 8 years 6 months ago
At least 22 civilians were killed in Syria's second city Aleppo, a monitor said on Sunday, in one of the highest single tolls since a fragile truce came into force.
Nearly all warring parties in Syria - the government, rebels, and Kurds - have carved out zones of control in the war-torn northern province.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, six civilians were killed and eight wounded in government air strikes on rebel-held eastern parts of Aleppo city on Saturday.
Opposition groups fired rockets into the government-controlled western districts, leaving five people dead and 20 wounded, the Observatory added.
"There's a clear escalation. This was the bloodiest incident in Aleppo and its province" since a truce deal between the government and rebels came into effect on 27 February, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
"This escalation directly threatens the truce."
Brokered by Russia and the United States, the cessation of hostilities deal does not include the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group or al-Qaeda's local Syrian affiliate.
The truce had largely held across parts of Syria since late February, despite frequent accusations that both sides were committing breaches.
But violence around Aleppo has sparked concerns that the ceasefire may not last, partly because rebels are involved in the battles there too.
IS has seized fresh territory from rebel groups in recent days, threatening the key opposition bastion town of Azaz, just eight kilometres (five miles) south of the Turkish border.
The IS onslaught has forced 30,000 Syrians to flee, and tens of thousands more are at risk of displacement.
Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, half of the country's population has been displaced - including five million who have fled to neighbouring states.
More than 270,000 people have been killed.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
