A Grim Day In Aleppo As Russian Forces And Assad Attack City

The forces of Syrian government and Russian allies bombarded the city of Aleppo on Friday in a new offensive attack on the opposition-occupied areas of the city. Dozens of airstrikes and threats to launch a ground invasion have been a part of the day’s events.

Witnesses caught a glimpse of the attack on video, capturing the scene of buildings burning following an airstrike that hit Mwasalat, a neighborhood in the eastern portion of the city.

Today’s escalation was the indication needed to truly see that the attempted restoration of a ceasefire that ended earlier this week had failed. The Syrian government and its Russian support have instead reverted to trying to seize territory through force. Anti-government activists in Aleppo have stated that the bombings on Thursday night and Friday morning caused the ground to shake and made the streets impassable.

People thought they were getting a ceasefire & food supplies. Instead they’re facing the worst bombing yet #Aleppo https://t.co/8Y3cvxHp4q

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 23, 2016

Zaher Azzaher spoke to the New York Times via WhatsApp on the subject of the city’s state.

“There are no more roads to walk on. Even between our neighborhoods, the roads are full of rubble and destruction.”

Residents were left buried in debris, including innocent women and children. At least 27 people have been killed in the overnight strikes by the government, according to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is in opposition to the government and has been tracking the conflict from Britain. However, aid workers within the city’s borders say that the death toll is much higher and that deadly bombings are ongoing in other parts of the northern region of the nation.

A nurse by the name of Modar Sheiko relayed the constant fear in the face of the attacks.

“You don’t know if you might stay alive or not.”

The head of Aleppo’s branch of Syria Civil Defense, which is a volunteer rescue organization, Anmar al-Salmo, stated that three of the centers had been bombed and some of their rescue vehicles had been hit.

“It is as if Russia and the regime used the truce only to maintain their weapons and plan on next targets. It is like doomsday today in Aleppo.”

The Syrian government made their new offensive plan known in an announcement via state-controlled news media on Friday. Quoted was an unnamed Syrian official who stated that the Aleppo operation is “comprehensive” and is likely to continue for a lengthy time. Additionally, the official stated that the operation would “include a ground offensive.”

Airstrikes in Aleppo kill 12 members of the same family, including 6 children, observer group says. https://t.co/LgFUSXBxzo pic.twitter.com/0g0g13iyFI

— ABC News (@ABC) September 23, 2016

A ground offensive had appeared to be an unlikely addition to the operation seeing as experts and analysts stated that the Syrian military lacks the manpower to overthrow and maintain control of a large territory. The air force does, however, have the ability to bombard the area held by rebels.

As stated, the assault on Aleppo has resulted following efforts to reinstate a ceasefire failed. The Times relays the politics that have stalled the hoped-for ceasefire.

“…diplomats from the International Syria Support Group had been meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly annual session. Secretary of State John Kerry met informally on Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, and told reporters that their talk had yielded ‘a little bit of progress.’Mr. Kerry gave no further detail, and it remains unclear whether Russia is willing to accept his proposal for a flight ban over critical areas in Syria.”

Lavrov spoke about the terms that failed to be met by the United States which then led to a stall on the planned ceasefire, stating that that the U.S. had failed to assure that Syrian rebels would separate themselves from the extremist militants of the “Qaeda-allied Nusra Front.” Lavrov then indicated that until this was ensured, additional measure would be “senseless.”

Although there is a rise in violence, it is reported that the city’s front lines remain stable.

[Feature Photo by Defne Karadeniz/Getty Images]