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Syrian children return to school as airstrikes on Aleppo continue Syrian children return to school as airstrikes on Aleppo continue
(35 minutes later)
The bombardment of Aleppo by the Syrian government and its Russian ally continued as children in the besieged eastern districts began their new school year. The bombardment of Aleppo by the Syrian government and its ally Russia continued on Sunday as children in the besieged eastern districts began their new school year.
As fresh airstrikes took place on Sunday amid fierce fighting between the opposition and soldiers loyal to Bashar al-Assad, the regime’s military command said it was prepared to offer safe passage with guarantees from Moscow to rebels in the east of the besieged city willing to surrender their arms and leave. There were fresh airstrikes and fierce fighting between the opposition and soldiers loyal to Bashar al-Assad, while the regime’s military command said it was prepared to offer safe passage with guarantees from Moscow to rebels in the east of the besieged city willing to surrender their arms and leave.
Hundreds of people have been killed and more than a thousand injured in over a week of relentless bombardment by Syrian and Russian warplanes, which have deployed an array of weaponry including cluster munitions, phosphorus and bunker-buster bombs in an effort to force the opposition’s surrender ahead of a planned ground offensive. Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in more than a week of relentless airstrikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes, which have deployed an array of weaponry including cluster munitions, phosphorus and bunker-buster bombs in an effort to force the opposition’s surrender before a planned ground offensive.
“We invite all those bearing arms to leave the eastern districts of Aleppo city and leave the civilian residents to live their lives normally,” a statement from the Syrian military command published said on state TV on Sunday. The statement said both the Russian and Syrian government would guarantee their safety. “We invite all those bearing arms to leave the eastern districts of Aleppo city and leave the civilian residents to live their lives normally,” the military command said in a statement. It said both the Russian and Syrian government would guarantee their safety.
Such guarantees are unlikely to hold much traction: the latest bout of violence occurred after a fragile one-week ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia that collapsed after Syrian or Russian fighter jets bombed an aid convoy to opposition-held areas that had been approved by Damascus. Such guarantees are unlikely to hold much traction: the latest bout of violence occurred after a fragile one-week ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia that collapsed after Syrian or Russian fighter jets bombed an aid convoy heading to opposition-held areas, which had been approved by Damascus.
Residents said the bombings continued on Sunday despite pupils in eastern Aleppo beginning their new school year. Local teachers posted images of a few students attending classes, saying that attendance was poor due to the continued airstrikes but that they were pleasantly surprised that some pupils had shown up. Aleppo residents said the bombings continued on Sunday. Local teachers posted images of a few students attending classes, and said that although attendance was poor they were pleasantly surprised that some had shown up.
Schools in the eastern suburbs officially reopened on Saturday, although only a few actually held classes. Residents said weapons like bunker-buster bombs could damage even schools that had built their facilities underground to protect them from airstrikes. Schools in the eastern suburbs officially reopened on Saturday, although only a few actually held classes. Residents said weapons such as bunker-buster bombs could damage even schools with underground facilities.
As if to underscore the risks, activists said a school in the Ma’adi district of eastern Aleppo was bombed on Sunday, but there were no casualties as the establishment had been abandoned after being bombed previously. “The best thing I have seen for 40 days now since the start of the second siege is seeing the children carrying their schoolbags and going to the school,” said one activist in the city. Activists said a school building in the Ma’adi district of eastern Aleppo that had been abandoned after being bombed previously was struck again on Sunday, causing no casualties.
Wissam Zarqa, a local teacher, said his students had to stay in late on Sunday after school because warplanes were flying in the area, balancing the concern their parents would feel at their arriving home late against the risk of venturing out while the jets were in the air. But he said he was grateful the children were attempting to live a normal life. After sending a recording of the sounds of raucous children playing during recess, he said: “Sounds I used to hate before. Now I just love it. The noise the students make in the break has become a sign of life.” One activist in the city said: “The best thing I have seen for 40 days now since the start of the second siege is seeing the children carrying their schoolbags and going to the school.”
Local doctors also said shells fired by Assad regime loyalists had struck near two hospitals, the M1 and M2, which are codenames provided to obscure their locations. It was just the latest attack on healthcare in the city as it prepares for a possible ground assault by Shia militias allied with the Assad regime. On Saturday the M10 hospital was bombed by Syrian helicopters, and earlier in the week two other emergency centres and the only remaining maternity hospital were bombed from the air. Wissam Zarqa, a local teacher, said his students had to stay late after school on Sunday because warplanes were flying in the area. But he said he was grateful the children were attempting to live a normal life.
The escalation in violence has prompted condemnation by Washington, but the US and its allies have little leverage over Russia with no plan B after the collapse of diplomatic efforts. After sending a recording of the sounds of raucous children playing during recess, he said: “Sounds I used to hate before. Now I just love it. The noise the students make in the break has become a sign of life.”
Pro-government forces pushed ahead with their ground offensive, with state TV and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, saying troops took control of new territory in the city’s north. Fighting was also reported all along the frontline between government and rebel forces. Local doctors said shells fired by Assad regime loyalists landed near two hospitals, the M1 and M2, which are codenames provided to obscure their locations. On Saturday the M10 hospital was bombed by Syrian helicopters, and earlier in the week two other emergency centres and the only remaining maternity hospital were bombed from the air.
Seizing Aleppo would be a major victory for Assad, who is relying on thousands of foreign fighters to prosecute the battle. It would place him in control of Syria’s most heavily populated cities, while pushing the rebellion against him into a rural insurgency. The escalation in violence has prompted condemnation by Washington, but the US and its allies have little leverage over Russia, with no plan B after the collapse of diplomatic efforts.
The UN said eastern Aleppo was on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe and expressed deep alarm at the “ferocious pummelling” of the city. “The health system is on the verge of total collapse, with patients being turned away and no medicines available to treat even the most common ailments,” said Stephen O’Brien, the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs. “With clean water and food in very short supply, the number of people requiring urgent medical evacuations is likely to rise dramatically in the coming days.” Syrian pro-government forces pushed ahead with their ground offensive and took control of new territory in the city’s north, according to state TV and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.
Seizing Aleppo would be a major victory for Assad, who is relying on thousands of foreign fighters to prosecute the battle. It would place him in control of Syria’s most heavily populated cities, pushing the rebellion against him into rural areas.
The UN said eastern Aleppo was on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe and expressed deep alarm at the “ferocious pummelling” of the city.
“The health system is on the verge of total collapse, with patients being turned away and no medicines available to treat even the most common ailments,” said Stephen O’Brien, the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs. “With clean water and food in very short supply, the number of people requiring urgent medical evacuations is likely to rise dramatically in the coming days.”